


You've got mail

by Ursus_minor



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies), Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Avenger Loki (Marvel), F/M, Fluff, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki is Soft, Loki is a good Avenger, Loki is annoying, Loki is sassy, Loki is sexy, Loki is sweet, Loki opens up, Romance, Sexual Content, Smut, The Avengers like Loki, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, You have to supervise Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22295674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursus_minor/pseuds/Ursus_minor
Summary: Inspired by the movie "You've got mail"You're a psychologist and friend of Tony. When Tony asks you to move in to the Avenger's tower for six weeks to assess how well Loki is settling into his life on earth, you had expected it to be a job like any other.Unfortunately, you are always attracted to the wrong kind of men - and Loki is exactly that kind .... and then, there is the mysterious stranger you connected with online and who seems like a wonderfully decent, sensible person with a slightly dark sense of humour.
Relationships: Loki/OFC, Loki/Original Female Character, Loki/Reader, Loki/you
Comments: 178
Kudos: 547





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everybody!! Hope you will enjoy this - it's my first try on a story in a while. It's light entertainment. :)
> 
> To all those of you who have been reading my other fics: I apologise for leaving you like that!! I had some health issues to deal with and wasn't able to write for a while due to the meds I've been taking. It looks like I'm coming back though. I wrote this story to get back into writing. It's going to be fairly short - 4-5 chappies.   
> Hopefully there will be updates for the other stories soon.   
> Much love to you all 💖 I hope you enjoy and thank you for your patience!!!
> 
> I missed you!!!
> 
> Also thank everyone for any comment and kudos - but most of all: Enjoy

_Lil_bookworm:_

I saw a butterfly on the subway the other day. I couldn't believe it. It got on at 42 nd street and got off at 59 th , where I assume it was going to Boomingdale's … You know, I like to start my notes to you as if we're already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we're the oldest and dearest friends – as opposed to what we actually are – two people who don't even know each other's names. And yet, every time my phone chimes, my breath catches in my chest and I hear nothing but the beat of my own heart as check my phone to see if I got a message from you.

_artful_deception13:_

I still believe the term “worm” has a wretched connotation, although I must admit that I am beginning to find it endearing, because our exchange of innocent thoughts on trivial matters is making my stay here far more tolerable than expected. New York is a dreadful place. Dirty, noisy and overall despicable - although I have discovered a few things that make life on this planet more bearable - such as salted caramel ice cream and those terribly oily pastries called doughnuts.

_Lil_bookworm:_

Caramel ice cream and doughnuts! Had I known you have a sweet tooth, I would have recommended a few excellent bakeries for you to visit - instead of art galleries. I know you miss your home, but, trust me, the city has a lot of good sides too. I love it's dynamism, the constant movement, and I love the seasons - steaming hot summers, colourful autumns and crazy cold winters – perfect for curling up in front of the fire with a good cup of tea and a book. I hope you'll be able to see its charms one day. Have you had any time to explore the art galleries I recommended?

_artful_deception13:_

It was insightful of you to point me to those galleries and I enjoyed myself, despite my reservations - I would appreciate your recommendations on bakeries, nonetheless. When it comes to the city though, you see beauty where there is only dirt. You are either naive or very innocent, a trait I would have despised not so long ago, and yet, I cannot deny that I have come to appreciate it in you.

_Lil_bookworm:_

LOL. You have an astounding ability to turn insults into compliments, mister. Maybe that's part of your “artful deception”!? Btw, you inspired me to buy a notebook and I started writing poetry. Maybe I'll let you read it one day. Oh, and I finished that Edgar Alan Poe book you recommended – it's creepy but good. Need to dash off to work now. I'll be back tonight if you have time. Enjoy your day :)

You hit "send" and smiled as your message swooshed off into cyberspace. Then you slipped your phone into your bag, took a deep breath and stepped out of your apartment on the twenty first floor of Stark Tower to make your way up to the common area. 

***

“Where's my tea?” You grumbled, kneeling on the kitchen counter in what you called the "Avenger's kitchen". It was an open plan kitchen that was part of the common area used mainly by earth's mightiest heroes - or rather, your favourite misfits on this planet. You rummaged through the stuff on shelves of the coffee cupboard a couple of minutes longer. You had definitely left a tin with your favourite Assam blend on the second shelf, right behind Tony's special Columbian coffee beans that nobody else was allowed to touch, and now it was gone.

“May I be of assistance?” It was Thor's baritone voice that interrupted your search.

“How about keeping your brother's larcenous little fingers from stealing my tea?” You growled and started putting things back onto the shelves, before you slid off the counter and shut the cupboard door with enough force to make Thor grin.

Yup, he had the nerve to grin at you, evidently unaware how serious this situation truly was.

“He did it again?” Thor was barely containing his amusement, so you turned towards him and poked a finger at his chest.

“Careful, God of Thunder. Just because you have a big hammer --”

“Kindly leave Mjolnir out of this, my lady.” Thor interrupted you and held up his hands in a gesture of defence. 

“Then stop making fun of me.” 

“I merely find it endearing that my brother still manages to get to you.”

“Well, how many hundreds of _years_ did it take YOU to get used to him?” You quipped and he grinned.

“A fair point.”

You crossed your arms over your chest.

“This is the third time Loki stole my tea. I mean, how much tea can he possibly go through in such a short amount of time? I wouldn't even mind sharing, but he doesn't ask, and then, he has to take the whole tin. The _tin_! I liked that tin!”

Thor chuckled at your rant. You pouted.

“You could at least do me a favour and kick your brother's royal ass next time you're sparring, Thor.” The Asgardian version of a giant teddy bear patted your shoulder in a brotherly way.

“Forgive him. He's the God of Mischief after all.”

“Yeah, lame excuse.” You muttered. 

“Truly, don't take him too seriously.” 

“But he's - he's so frustrating. Sometimes I wish I could simply punch some sense into him without breaking my hand in the process.”

“Did Loki steal your tea again?” Natasha asked as she casually strolled in and walked over to the coffee machine to make herself a cappuccino. You just scowled at her.

“Loki's a big kid”, the assassin offered, “I bet he's just trying to get your attention.”

“He _has_ my attention. All of my _negative_ attention.”

“Still attention”, Nat sniggered. “The two of you should really get over that. How long have you been irritating each other? Two weeks?”

“More like three and a half.” You groaned.

"Cappuccino?" She asked and you nodded. 

"Large Latte for me, please", Tony announced loudly, earning himself a glare from Natasha, as he entered and joined the happy gathering.

"What?" He asked, shrugging, then he looked at you. "Oh. Mischief again?"

You growled.

“Don't take it personally, poppy. You're basically assigned as his watchdog, of course Loki's going to try and make your life hell.”

“Well, that's reassuring, thanks, Tony. Especially since _you_ were the one who set me up with the job”, You snapped. “And I'm _not_ his watchdog, I'm here to assess his psychological state, which, in itself, is an insane endeavour, in my opinion. Apart from that, how come all of you are supporting Loki, when he's being an absolute jerk? What happened to my loyal friends? Did he all charm you into loyalty?”

Tony put an arm around your shoulder and looked at you.

“How long have we known each other, poppy?” 

“Far too long to keep my sanity, Stark.” You grumbled.

“And that's exactly why I convinced them to get _you_ on the job. You know me. You know us. You've dealt with all the crazy shit we deal with - and you survived. You're used to working with misfits. Loki's become an asset to the team. He may be a cranky ass but I don't want him to be judged for his behaviour, but for how helpful he is."

“I'm used to working with _grown ups_ , not with a one thousand year old teenager who claims to be a god. And I still need to spend a LOT of time with him each day, don't forget that”, you groaned, plopping down on one of the stools at the breakfast bar.

“He's the God of Mischief, it's in his nature to cause trouble”, Tony threw in and you rolled your eyes.

Natasha handed you a cappuccino and smiled at you.

“Forget about Mischief for a moment and tell me about your mystery man. Mister _artful deception_.” She raised her eyebrows expectantly as she slipped into the seat next to you.

“It's nothing really, we email each other - he's incredibly eloquent though, I really like that. And different. Although I'm thinking of stopping because it's getting ...”

“Out of hand?”

“Confusing”, you sighed.

“You have a suitor?” Thor fell in, leaning on the counter beside you, sipping something hot from a giant mug that spelled "I need a hug" in large black letters. Seeing him like that bordered on ridiculous. 

“It's not like that." You shook your head. "We met online.”

“Oh, I heard about this online dating.” Thor stated proudly. 

“Nonono. It's _not_ online-dating. We randomly met on a forum about literature and poetry – he liked one of the poems I posted and somehow we got chatting.”

“About what?” Natasha enquired.

“Poetry. Words. Books. How we both love gardens … harmless stuff. Meaningless.”

Natasha grinned and Thor raised an eyebrow at you.

“That sounds rather romantic to me. Have you met him?” He dug further.

“Gosh, no! We don't even talk about anything personal. We made a rule about that. I don't know his name, or what he does, or where he lives exactly. It's kinda good like that.”

“Are you aware that he could be pretty much anyone?” Tony's joined the conversation, his forehead wrinkled in slight worry.

“Yeah”, Natasha snorted, “he's most probably a library nerd."

“Or a psychopathic killer”, Tony suggested.

“He could be a handsome millionaire”, you retorted and winked at Tony, who gave you an unimpressed look, then he glanced up.

“It could be the spiderling”, Tony whispered and raised his eyebrows suggestively towards Peter, who entered the lounge. “Been online lately, kid?”

You rolled your eyes, grabbed your coffee and made your way to the training area to meet up with the prince of darkness.

***

“Do you truly have to guard my every step?” The dark god asked while you watched him doing push-ups. Loki's voice was strained, but you were sure it wasn't from physical exertion, because you could literally feel the irritation rolling off him. He just didn't like you - and had no problem showing it.

“It's my job. It's been a year since you joined the Avengers and the government is just trying to ensure you've settled in okay.”

“You mean, they are attempting to figure out if I can be trusted”, he scoffed, not even slightly out of breath. "That is what you are truly here for."

“Can't really blame them, can you?” You sighed and watched him.

How many had he done so far? One hundred and fifty? Two hundred? You had already lost count and this was just his warm up. The god had a rigorous training schedule. Sometimes you'd go on the treadmill while Loki was working out, other times you did weights, but more often than not, you just watched him. Thor was clumsy compared to his younger brother. Loki's moves were graceful and elegant. He moved smoothly, like a cat.

Lately, Loki had gotten into the habit of taking his shirt off while training, which you found annoyingly distracting. You caught yourself spacing out while studying the muscles of Loki's back as he did push-ups and had to remind yourself that you were here to assess his psychological status, not his physique. 

“Even if I plotted against your government, or your entire world, you would be none the wiser, mortal.” Loki sneered as he rose, pulled himself up on one of the horizontal bars for chin-ups and did a few of those before he hooked his knees over the bar and started to do upside down sit-ups. 

“I know, I know –" You rolled your eyes, "if you wanted to kill people and take over the planet, you would have done so already.”

Loki halted mid-air and turned to look at you, his arms crossed behind his head. 

“Do not mock me, mortal. I merely tolerate your presence, because you are not worthwhile the energy it would take to rid myself of you.”

“Charming.” You sighed.

“Comes naturally with being a prince.” He deadpanned and straightened back down, his dark locks almost touching the floor. 

It almost made you laugh. Almost.

Upside down sit-ups were the exercise you actually shouldn't be watching. No matter how awful Loki could be, there was no denying that his body was beautiful, and watching those lean abs contract under the pale skin, was surely going to be the death of you. You couldn't remember that you'd ever found a man's body particularly attractive, but this god's body elicited a hell of a lot of indecent fantasies. 

_"Well, a small compensation for all the shitty behaviour I have to put up with all the time"_ , you thought, grinning to yourself.

You'd been assigned to spend six weeks with Loki. To make life easier for you, Tony offered you to stay in one of the apartments in the tower, and Loki had been requested to spend as much time as possible in public areas, since he was known to withdraw to his rooms when there were no missions he could join. Another thing that was required of him, was that he would show up to regular sessions with you, so that you were able to draw up a psychological profile which would tell the authorities about Loki's stability – or instability.

“Do we really have to do this, Loki?” You asked with a sigh.

“Do what?” 

“Irritate each other every time we cross paths. Can't we just try and get along?”

“Where would be the fun in that?” He retorted without looking at you.

Right. Everything was a game to him. 

“Well, at least stop stealing my tea then. You owe me three packets now – and I want my tin back.”

“Feel free to come over and fetch it from my apartment later tonight", the god purred, his lips curving into the devious grin you'd gotten used to over the past weeks.

"In your dreams", you hissed. 

"What a shame. No tea then." 

The man was a malicious tease. Beautiful, but horrible.

“Can we go out for tea at least? We've spent the last three days in the tower, I'm getting cabin fever.” You groaned, knowing that it was highly unlikely that Loki would relent. Whatever it was you wanted to do, Loki would generally insist on doing the exact opposite.

To your surprise, he swung himself upwards, reached for the bar and dismounted gracefully, before a green mist enveloped him and a moment later he looked his usual impeccable self. Dressed in a smart black suit and a black linen shirt.

“Fine. Let us go." He said, smoothing his hair back with his fingers. 

While you still processed his words, the God of Mischief was already half-way out the door, so you quickly scrambled to your feet, snatched your bag and rushed after him.

***

The two of you didn't speak until you sat down in a small cafe a few blocks from the tower. One of the places Loki frequented quite often and you wondered if it was the coffee, the tea, or Fidelity, the pretty young art student who worked there, that drew the dark god to this place. The red-head walked over to your table as soon as she spotted Loki.

“It's nice to see you mister Laufeyson. What can I do for you today?” She asked with a candied smile and was, as usual, oblivious to your presence.

“I would like a coffee, thank you.” Loki answered, flashing her a toothy smile that revealed two rows of perfect pearl teeth. You noticed the slight dimples that appeared in his cheeks when he smiled like that. Fidelity's own smile widened. 

“Sure – we have the Java dark roast available today. Your favourite. Would you like a pastry with that? Maybe one of our home-baked cookies?”

“Why don't you surprise me, Fidelity?” Loki purred and winked at her. The girl beamed, giggled, and stormed off without taking your order.

“Great.” You muttered and Loki had the audacity to laugh softly, before he conjured a book out of thin air and started reading.

“You shouldn't be flirting with her", you reprimanded him. “And you shouldn't be conjuring books, or other items, or anything, really, out of thin air when you're in public.”

“Why not?” He raised his eyebrows in feigned bemusement.

“It draws too much attention.” You growled. “Normal people don't fetch things out of thin air.”

“I was not talking about that. I was referring to what you said about Fidelity. She seems to enjoy it, apart from that, is flirting not common practice if you wish to attract the attention of a maiden?"

"I doubt she's still a _maiden_ ", you murmured and bit your lip. 

"Are you aware that a sexual relationship can help relieve stress by raising the levels of endorphins and other hormones that elevate mood, which consequently leads to a more balanced life. Would that not be in your government's interest? To keep me calm and _balanced_?"

“I don't think that _sex_ was what the government had in mind", you gnarled. "It's not fair on her. I mean, you're not serious about this."

"Do you think me incapable of pursuing a committed relationship?" Loki asked sassily and searched your eyes.

"Well, to be honest - yes. I do. But, regardless of what I think, you can't bring the girl back to the tower anyways."

“Oh, I am certain that Fidelity owns an apartment of her own. There would be no need for her to visit the tower”, he countered smugly, holding your gaze.

You opened your mouth, but Fidelity returned with Loki's coffee and a plate with two giant cookies that very moment.

“I heated them up, just the way you like it, Mister Laufeyson.”

Holy cow, she was really buttering him up. 

“Good girl.” Loki answered with a deep purr.

You suddenly felt slightly nauseous. The thought of Loki seriously hitting on this girl made you angry, and you would have liked to tell yourself that you were concerned for Fidelity's safety, but if you were to be honest, you had to admit that you were angry with her. With the way she batted her eyes at Loki unashamedly. The way she smiled and giggled. The way she cooed "just the way you like it, Mister Laufeyson". There was a twinge in the pit of your stomach that told you that this girl was in your territory. On your hunting grounds. 

You were jealous. The realisation hit you with shocking clarity.

Loki called your name twice and you looked up at him, perplexed. 

"What?"

"Fideliity asked you what you would like. She would like to take your order", he stated with the usual touch of annoyance you'd grown accustomed to. 

_Oh._

One of those elegant dark eyebrows rose expectantly, when you didn't say anything. Loki frowned and turned to Felicity. 

“Fidelity, darling, would you kindly bring the lady a strong cup of tea? And maybe a piece of that luscious chocolate cake. I believe she may need it.” The girl took the order, not without flashing Loki another smile and adding another, "Of course, Mr Laufeyson", before she disappeared.

Loki went back to reading, while you stared at him. 

You couldn't possibly be jealous, could you? 

"Did you just order me a piece of chocolate cake?" You finally asked, confused, because it was exactly what you felt like right now. Chocolate and cake. 

"I did." Loki answered without looking up from his book. 

"That was - surprisingly nice of you."

"There is no need to read into it, mortal. You look pale and seem unsettled, I merely ordered you food to elevate your blood sugar levels." He stated casually. 

"Sure. Thanks", you murmured. Then you pulled your laptop out of your bag and started going through your mail.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! Thank you for the lovely comments and also the kudos. Looks like you've been enjoying this story :) I am so happy to get back into writing, even though it is still slow progress. Thank you for the encouragement!
> 
> So, there's a bit of smut in this chapter too - for all those who are here for that - enjoy!

_Lil_bookworm:_

“To see the World in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour - that's one of my favourite lines from William Blake. He expresses so much in just a few words. Speaking of grains of sand ... have you been to any of the beaches here? On the islands around Long Beach, there are spots that let the world around you melt away. You merge with the moment. It is as though time stands still, while it stretches into eternity at the same time. In those moments I feel that everything in this universe has its place. Good and evil, I mean. Light and darkness. Maybe I really see beauty where is only dirt. I guess, if I wouldn't look for and appreciate the beauty of life, there would be fairly little to keep me going. I like believing that there is more to life than our daily duties, our struggles, and our pain."

_artful_deception13:_

There was a tree in my mother's garden with minuscule white blossoms that bloomed only on the nights of a full moon and the redolence that suffused the air was exquisite. When I was a boy, I spent many nights under the tree, intoxicated by the sweet fragrance. There was nothing else I needed. Nothing. Life was so simple back then. But I was a foolish and sentimental, because I was unaware that fate can be unbearably cruel. Sometimes it is impossible to forgive those who betrayed us. We keep the faint hope alive that one day the wound may close and the bleeding will stop, whilst we carry on, taking every opportunity that life throws at us and use it to our advantage, because we need a reason to live. I fear that I have long lost touch with the way you view the world."

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Your mother's garden sounds magical and I like to imagine you as a little boy, lying on the grass and looking up into the sky, befuddled by the fragrance of the flowers. I used to stargaze when I was little and I often asked myself if there were other kids out there, doing the same thing – on other worlds in the stars, I mean. I think that was pretty foolish and sentimental, too. I've seen and experienced a fair deal of pain and grief, and found that forgiveness is the only way to freedom. Maybe, you're right - I'm naive, but I'm okay with it, because it's worth it, if that's what makes my world more beautiful."

_artful_deception13:_

"Sweet creature. My mother would have agreed with you, I am certain."

_Lil_bookworm:_

"Your mother must be a wonderful person, maybe you should go back home and visit sometime? You seem to miss her.”

_artful_deception13:_

“I cannot go back.”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Oh god, I'm sorry. I know we decided not to speak about personal things, so I'm sorry if I overstepped.”

_artful_deception13:_

“Why would you be sorry?"

_Lil_bookworm:_

"Why? Because I like you."

_artful_deception13:_

"You know nothing of me, apart from what I choose to share with you, and yet you claim to like me?”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Well, since both of us have spent quite a few hours writing to each other, I thought it was a mutual thing. And honestly, what's there _not_ to like about you? You love my poetry, spell whole sentences, like caramel ice cream and doughnuts, and stay up all night indulging in the sweet fragrance of flowers. You don't seem like a terribly nasty or dangerous person to me. But of course, I shouldn't make assumptions.”

_artful_deception13:_

“No, you should actually be sleeping right now. It is past two o'clock in the morning.”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Are you berating me for staying up late, 'mum'? I can assure you that I am old enough to stay up past midnight. But, seriously, I'm grateful that YOU are still up, because I can't sleep, there's too much on my mind.”

_artful_deception13:_

“Would you like to share your thoughts with me, then?”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Just trouble at work, but I don't wanna drag you into personal stuff.”

_artful_deception13:_

“Tell me more?”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Well, I can't really share work details - it's confidential. But - I mean, what would _you_ do with someone who tries to make your life hell?”

_artful_deception13:_

“I assume, killing the person is not an option?”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“LOL. You assume correctly.”

_artful_deception13:_

“Thought as much. So, this individual is a co-worker?”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Yes.”

_artful_deception13:_

“In what way is he harassing you?”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Just driving me insane with his behaviour. He's haughty and arrogant and suffers from adaptive disorder. He makes work difficult.”

_artful_deception13:_

“I may be able to help you because, you see, more often than not, I am what you would call the worst of yourself. I am arrogant, full of spite and condescension. Although (just between us) sometimes I wish I could smile and move on, instead of unleashing hell upon those who provoke me."

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Omg! I'm so jealous, Mr Nasty. More often than not, what happens to me when I get provoked is that my mind goes blank. Like, entirely blank. Then I spend all night tossing and turning and trying to think of what I should have said. Sometimes I wish I could be a little more of a badass.”

_artful_deception13:_

“Well, I must warn you that a gentle creature like you would undoubtedly feel guilty if you ever chose to unleash your inner villain – as much fun as it can be. But wouldn't it be wonderful if I could pass on some of my villainous moods to you? Then you could behave badly, while I would end up – rather boring.”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“I can't imagine you'd ever be boring with that undeniably sarcastic attitude of yours ;)”

_artful_deception13:_

"Nevertheless, take the advice of a villain - if you cannot despatch of the object of your torment, you have to beat him at his own game. You will have no choice but to 'go to the mattresses'.”

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Go to the what????”

_artful_deception13:_

“An expression I learnt from the movie The Godfather. The meaning of the phrase relates to the association in Italian folk-memory of mattresses with safety in wartime. It means 'you need to prepare for battle'. Go to war."

_Lil_bookworm:_

“Oh. Ok, got ya.”

_artful_deception13:_

“Pay him back in his own coin. Be sly. Be cunning. Most of all - be unscrupulous."

***

Unleash your inner villain. Beat him at his own game. For some reason, the words had sparked something in you. Something dangerously mischievous.

The next day, you bought two packets of your favourite Assam tea in a small store in the village and proceeded to hide one in the usual spot, behind Tony's coffee beans, only this time you mixed a few spoonfuls of super hot chili powder into the loose tea, while the second packet was stored safely in your room.

You may not be as sharp tongued as the God of Mischief, but you had learnt a few valuable things about Loki. One thing was that for Loki everything was a game, the other was that he had two obvious weaknesses: sweets and his brother, Thor. 

Over the course of the next week you made sure to bring treats and share them with everyone, except Loki. You would beat Loki to the freezer to grab the ice cream before he could get to it and shared it Thor. You did the same with the cookies you baked. And the brownies. 

Loki also didn't appreciate that you put salt in the sugar container, but being the God of Pranks, he should really have anticipated that move.

You knew that your behaviour was absolutely unprofessional and childish, and part of you felt bad about abusing your clients trust in you (although you doubted that the God of Mischief even knew how to spell the word 'trust'), but the rest of you felt surprisingly good. 

Natasha was right. In a way, Loki was like little kid, because he became cranky.

The thing you hadn't really taken into account was that you were dealing with the God of Mischief, who had no concept of boundaries or private space.

One morning, you opened a drawer to retrieve some underwear and found it riddled with snakes of all sizes (which gave you a big fright, but the fact that Loki had obviously been to your room and knew where you kept your underwear was far more disconcerting than the reptiles). Another time, you drew yourself a bath, only to discover the tub was full of eels, when you were ready to settle into the warm water for a relaxing evening.

Over the next days, Loki and you would talk less and prank more. At some stage things escalated a little when Loki hid a full grown tiger in the fridge in the common kitchen and, because you had to answer a phone call, Tony was the one who opened it and almost went into cardiac arrest as the tiger lunged at him. Needless to say, Tony pressed for a time out, banning both of you from the tower for an entire day and gave you a half an hour long talk about being irresponsible, unprofessional and for encouraging Loki unnecessarily. The God of Mischief and you didn't talk for two days afterwards, which may have been the most peaceful two days of your entire time together. 

It was during a session with Loki a couple of days later that you noticed something was different. While the God of Mischief used to be entirely disinterested in your questions and usually occupied himself with conjuring things out of thin air or making random items on your desk levitate, he now attempted to make conversation. With any other client, you would have thought it a breakthrough, but you were dealing with Loki here. 

Having his attention made you wonder what kind of intrigues he was scheming, or if he was scheming anything at all or only tried to lead you astray by assuming he did. 

"I should have anticipated the salt", he suddenly said and you looked up from your notes to find those green eyes studying you, intent on taking in every little detail about you.

"You're the God of pranks, you should have", you replied. "The snakes and eels were pretty impressive, by the way."

"Where you frightened?" He asked with genuine interest, twirling a ball of blue light between his fingers.

"What? You mean, you didn't make yourself invisible and watched, while I was shrieking and squealing my head off?"

The corners of his mouth curled upwards.

"Would you have liked that?"

Geez, you'd only been joking.

"You - you can do that? Make yourself invisible?"

Loki's smile turned devious as he leaned forward bracing his elbows on the desk.

"If I told you I can, would that scare you or _entice_ you?" 

"It would annoy me." You snapped and scowled at him, trying to will away the blush that was creeping up your cheeks. You decided to chang the subject. "I am grateful you never thought of letting cockroaches lose on me -- no, don't get any ideas, because I'd seriously get a heart-attack if you'd do that."

"I was impressed how well you took the snakes and eels. But now I am thoroughly tempted", Loki said slyly and you shrieked, when a large cockroach appeared in his hand and climbed up his fingers. 

"That's gross, Loki. I swear, I'd hate you forever if you did that."

The sorcerer chuckled and the cockroach dissolved into a ball of light. 

"Does that mean you do not hate me, _yet_?"

"Of course, I don't hate you."

Loki raised an eyebrow at you, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"No?"

"I don't hate you, because you're my _client_ , Loki."

"I see. And pranking clients is part of your - work routine?" The dark god leaned back in his chair, his green eyes resting on you. 

Was he flirting? You had been prepared for many things, but Loki flirting with you hadn't been one of them. 

Crikey, had you attracted his attention by playing pranks on him?

"Not my usual routine, no", you retorted casually, "But I've never had to work with the God of Mischief before. Ludicrous circumstances demand impish measures." 

Loki laughed softly. One of those laughs that made the dimples appear in his cheeks and let his eyes light up. You were stunned for a second or two by the way his features changed, revealing an almost innocent looking, beautiful person. It was the first genuine smile you'd seen in the entire five weeks you'd been with him. 

That moment your cellphone alarm went off and you looked at your watch. 

Shit. You'd forgotten about your lunch date. 

"Oh god, I have to go." You said as you hurriedly packed the notebook and phone into your bag. 

"You have to go? What about lunch?" Loki asked with genuine bewilderment and you should have thought twice before you opened your mouth and blurted out,

"Thor invited me out for lunch. I'll be back around three, so you're released from your duties till then." As soon as the words had left your mouth, you knew you should have worded things differently, because Loki's soft green eyes instantly turned an icy blue. 

You could have slapped yourself. It looked like Loki was finally opening up to you and you had to blow it by mentioning Thor.

"He's just going to help me with work stuff." It was a weak attempt of smoothing it over, but you tried to make it sound as casual as possible. "I thought you'd be happy to be rid of me for a couple of hours."

The glare you received told you that this hadn't been the right thing to say either. So, you tried something else.

"Is there anything you'd like to do when I'm back? We could get some ice cream in Central Park, maybe? Or go for coffee and cake?"

Loki's features settled into a grim mask. 

"Go out for ice cream or coffee?" Loki hissed. "Do you think of me as some kind of entertainment? I am _not_ one of your pathetic friends, mortal."

"I just thought you'd like to do something nice -"

"Something _nice_?"

_Oh dear, this wasn't going well._

"Have you forgotten who you are speaking to? I killed hundreds of your people, destroyed half of this city, and attempted to rule your realm. Are you too dull or do you merely pretend not to be bothered by any of this?" Loki all but yelled, his voice sharp and full of spite. 

The outburst came out of the blue, but it shouldn't have taken you by surprise like it did. For a moment, you stared at the dark god in front of you in shock. His words disturbed you. No, they hurt you. And they shouldn't have, because you were trained for these kind of situations. You should have expected him to turn on you, but all the harmless mischief had lulled you into a false sense of security, a familiarity that you should never develop with a client. You swallowed and took a deep breath. 

“It's not my job to judge you for your past, but to assess your present state, Loki.” You managed to sound calm and collected when you spoke. 

“Empty phrases”, he spat. “You are scared of me. I can see it in your eyes. You merely feel safe, because this building is riddled with surveillance equipment and because your Avengers are close by. But deep down you know, deep down you fear me, because you know that not even the man of iron would get to you fast enough if I decided to extinguish your insignificant life.”

Loki's pupils had contracted in anger, making his eyes look even brighter and colder and his voice was now no more than a hiss. 

“If you are trying to intimidate me, it's working." You said, attempting to keep your voice calm. "And, you are right, I feel safe as long as we're in public, but I probably wouldn't if we were alone. And I am well aware that you could turn on me and kill me any moment, but I - I would like to trust you, Loki. Maybe it is you who does not wish to be trusted.”

“I do not _wish_ to be trusted? Is this your meager attempt at analysing a god's psyche? Do not have the audacity to think you understand me, mortal. You will never understand what it is like to exist for a thousand years and then be told that everything, every single thing about you, was a lie.”

You stared at him. 

“No, I don't. I don't know what it's like.” You bit your lip. “But, maybe - maybe, you could help me understand?”

There was something in his eyes, a flicker of emotions that you couldn't quite place. He was so damn hard to read. So unpredictable.

“Why would I waste my time?” Loki sneered and rose suddenly, pushing his chair back with force. He didn't spare you another glance as he walked out of the office. Then he halted. “I am joining you and Thor for lunch."

“What? Why?”

Loki's eyes narrowed. 

“You were assigned to me, mortal, your role is to keep me company.” 

“I was assigned to you, yes, but _not_ to keep you company. I'm not your property. You don't own me, mister.” You growled at him. 

"We will see about that." Loki quipped and stepped aside, making a gesture for you to come along. 

***

It ended up being a long and exhausting day, topped with a dark god who got into an increasingly dark mood. Loki joined you and Thor for lunch and things went downhill from there. Well, Loki's mood at least, which Thor (much to your own disgruntlement) found amusing. The rest of the afternoon, the dark menace of Asgard had nothing better to do than try and order you around as if you were his personal servant.

By the time you arrived at SHIELD headquarters for a meeting with a handful of government officials, you were drained and had a light headache. After three hours of discussing and defending the Loki, you returned to the tower, exhausted and eager to relax in a nice warm bath. A feeling of frustration had spread inside you during the meeting and it was hard to shake it off. Everyone, maybe even Tony, saw Loki merely as an asset. An asset with "superpowers" they could use to their advantage. It was all about how they could use him, manipulate him and get the most out of him.

Loki was a person. No matter what he had done, he was a person. With feelings and a life, and since he had joined the Avengers he had changed, otherwise they wouldn't trust him.

As you lay in the bath, you remembered Loki's words. 

_You will never understand what it is like to exist for a thousand years and then be told that everything, every single thing about you, was a lie._

It didn't feel fair that people tried to use him. You knew about Loki's background. Apparently Loki had found out by accident, that he was the son of one of the sworn enemies of Asgard. Imagine living for one thousand years believing you're one of the good guys, only to discover that you're the son of the enemy. 

The water turned cold and you pulled the plug and dried yourself off with a large, fluffy towel. When you reached for your dressing gown, you froze. It was green.

Green. 

It should have been a soft yellow.

_What the hell?_

Blinking, you pulled it on and ventured into your bedroom. A small gasp of exasperation escaped your throat when you entered the room. The sheets on your bed were a deep forest green. So was the heap of clothes that you had dropped on the floor when you undressed for the bath. 

_He wouldn't dare, would he?_

With a growl you walked over to your dresser and pulled open the first drawer. Every single piece of lingerie had turned different shades of green, and you noticed that each item had a small emblem embroidered on it - a golden helmet with horns. 

You pulled your wardrobe open and shrieked. It had turned into a sea of green. Each and every dress, blouse, sweater and pair of pants, displaying Loki's symbol. 

The message was unmissable: "I. Own. You".

_Damn the bastard!_

_Did you actually have compassion with him a moment ago?_

You gritted your teeth as you felt the heat of anger churn in your stomach. A couple of minutes later, you marched down the hall and knocked on Loki's door. This time you wouldn't be tongue tied. On your way to his apartment you had practiced what you would say to him, because were determined to tell him exactly what --

The door opened and your mind went blank.

In front of you stood a shirtless god, shamelessly displaying his pale, muscular chest and lean six pack. He'd evidently been in the shower, because his dark locks were dripping and he smelled like a pine forest. Loki wore nothing but a pair of black, silky lounge pants that were sitting way too low on his hips.

The god looked at you expectantly as he started drying his hair with the towel in his hands. By the time you realised that your gaze had swerved down his body and had been lingering somewhere below his navel for far too long, you quickly brought your eyes back up to meet Loki's face, who was now sporting a sardonic smile. 

"I must say, green suits you", he purred, evidently quite pleased with himself. 

_Don't let him throw you off._

You cleared your throat and narrowed your eyes at him.

“Undo it.” It didn't come out the way you had wanted it to sound. "Undo it, right now!" You tried again with more force.

"And what will you offer me in return?" 

"What? Why should I offer you anything, you - you - God, why do you have to be so irritating, Loki?”

“Because I enjoy the way you squirm, little mortal.” The amusement was evident on his face.

“Whatever”, You growled.

"Do we have a deal, then?"

"There's not going to be a deal."

"Very well. Good night to you, then." With that he started closing the door, so you quickly slammed your hand against it. 

"Wait!"

A lopsided grin appeared on Loki's face. 

"What do you want?" You asked, worried about the answer when Loki's green eyes glinted. 

"Five minutes." 

"Five minutes?"

"With you. Alone in my apartment." he purred.

_Not a good idea._

He leisurely ran his fingers through his damp hair and slung the towel over his shoulder.

"You said I do not wish to be trusted, I desire to prove you wrong." Maybe he sensed your unease, because his voice was soft as velvet.

"Fine", you agreed, albeit with a sinking feeling in your stomach. Loki stepped aside and you entered his apartment, flinching a little when the door closed behind you.

You took a few steps into the room, admiring the simple but elegant furnishing. There was a lot of dark wood and forest green. Some gold. And plenty of bookshelves filled with books. 

“You pretend you do not fear me and yet you tremble every time I come too close.” You heard him from somewhere behind you. “What is it you fear I would do, I wonder? Hurt you?”

_Maybe. For the most part, you feared what YOU would do if he came to close._

Your heart was pounding and it wasn't fear that made you so nervous. 

"I thought you wanted to prove me wrong? Show me that you want to be trusted", You said, trying not to turn around, but let your gaze wonder around the room. 

“Do you trust me?” Loki asked softly. 

"Would it be the wise thing to do?" You retorted.

"No." 

"Would you like me to? Trust you?" You asked carefully, turning around and almost bumped into Loki's bare chest.

You hadn't expected him to be that close. With a squeal you stumbled backwards, arms flailing. Quicker than you could think, one of Loki's hands shot out to steady you. Strong, slender fingers wrapped around your wrist and upper arm. His touch was unusually cold.

Your eyes snapped up to his and you watched his pupils dilate. His grip loosened but he didn't let you go. Holding your gaze, Loki straightened to his full height, towering over you. In this moment, he truly was intimidating, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that it made him incredibly sexy. 

“Your pulse is racing”, the dark god murmured.

You felt your cheeks heat up and yanked your arm away, rushing back towards the door to escape. Just as you pulled it open, a large hand collided with it, slamming it shut.

You didn't move. Loki's hand was right next to your head and he was standing so close, almost touching your back. A shudder ran down your spine and a trickle of arousal pooled between your legs. 

“You are scaring me, Loki.” You whispered. 

He didn't move and he didn't say anything either.

Gathering your courage you slowly turned around to face him. Emerald eyes settled on your face and you gasped when his free hand came up to wrap around your throat in a light caress.

“I believed you feared me." The god's gaze dropped to your lips. "I was wrong. You are not afraid of me. You tremble for entirely different reasons.”

“Stop.” You whispered.

For a moment nothing happened, he merely stroked his thumb over your pulse point. His touch was - for lack of a better word - electrifying. It kept sending small currents of pleasure down your body. It became difficult to focus with the tension building in your body and you worried, because your rational mind started to fall apart.

Loki's fingers moved, lingering on your chin for a breath, before his eyes darkened and he smoothed his thumb over your lips. Bringing his eyes back up to meet yours, his hand slipped to the back of your head as he leaned in to run the tip of his nose along your cheek.

“W-what are you doing?” You squeaked.

“Following my instincts.” Loki's voice was a low, velvet purr. 

Those long fingers threaded in your hair, while his cool lips ghosted along your jawline, brushing the corner of your mouth briefly before he nudged your lips open with his. You yielded with a soft moan. His lips were cool, but his breath was warm.

Nonono. You shouldn't.

You shouldn't ever be doing this with a client. Sexy, hot god or not.

Your mind waved all the red flags it could find at you. In an attempt to regain control, you shoved your hands against his chest, which resulted in Loki pressing his body against yours and rubbing his now evident arousal against your lower belly, then he deepened the kiss and the last of your resistance melted away, when his tongue slid into your mouth, searching and exploring. 

_Holy hell._

He tasted good. He smelled good. He felt good. His body was pure, hard muscle and he was a fantastic kisser. 

You were surprised by the tenderness that lay in the kiss and relaxed against him, allowing your hands to find their way into his soft, dark locks. 

You wanted this. You wanted him.

And he damn well knew it.

A few minutes later you found yourself trapped underneath the god's naked body, tangled in the sheets of his bed. Somewhere between the door and the bed, Loki had peeled you out of your clothes while you had managed to get his pants off. Right now, the God of Mischief was busy nibbling and kissing your neck, as his deft fingers slipped between your legs. 

You groaned. Loki's cool body moulded against yours and you let your hands run over the soft skin. He rolled his hips, rubbing his arousal against your inner thigh, while his open mouth delivered small bites to your neck and his fingers searched your warmth. It was the right mix of tenderness and dominance that made your core melt. 

No words were shared between you, maybe either of you feared they could break the spell you were under. There were only moans, gasps and soft curses.

You reached down to touch him and the god's fingers retreated from your warmth, when you let his hard length glide into your hand. He propped himself up on one arm and buried his other hand in your hair, fisting it and making you hiss softly. You closed your fingers around him, stroking him slowly. He was larger than you expected and felt incredibly good in your hand. Loki groaned against your skin and pulled your head back, licking along your throat. You opened your legs further and moved to align him with you. 

"Oh god." You gasped as he breached you, inching his way into your warmth. 

You dug your nails into his shoulders both to steady you and release the pressure that slowly built up inside you. He filled you in a delicious, almost uncomfortable way and you bit your lip harder than you wanted, the metallic taste of your blood dissolving on your tongue when Loki started to move in slow, deep strokes. With each time he retreated and filled you again, you grew more impatient. More desperate. 

He seemed to sense it and pulled you into a passionate kiss, while he hooked his hand under your knee and lifted your leg, spreading you open further and reaching deeper. It didn't take long for you to fall apart and you clasped your legs around him tightly as he rode you through your high, knowing exactly what to do to prolong your pleasure. When you finally sank back onto the sheets, he tenderly kissed your eyes and cheeks. 

"Turn around", it was whispered so softly that you almost missed it and you groaned in protest when he slipped out of you. You rolled over onto your stomach. 

Loki settled behind you, peppering kisses all over your back before he gripped your hips and pulled you up onto your knees, entered you again and began pumping in an out of you in a steady rhythm. HIs hands were all over your body. Cool fingers pinching your sensitive nipples, rubbing your clit teasingly, and caressing your skin. His cold tongue ghosted along your back and made you squirm. Then he pulled back, gripped your hips and took you harder.

You dug your fingers into the sheets and you tried to muffle the desperate sounds that tumbled from your lips in the pillow. This time Loki followed you over the edge, growling as he buried himself deep inside you, twitching and pulsing. You collapsed onto the bed, and let the dark god pull you onto your side to spoon you. He tucked your hair behind your ear and kissed your shoulder, while he lazily let his hands roam your body. You could feel his heart beating against your back, and the slow rise and fall of his chest as he was breathing. It was soothing. His presence. was astoundingly soothing.

You reached back and ran your fingers through his hair, which made him purr. The sound brought you back to life. As if he'd noticed, Loki's hand slipped between your legs, stroking your inner thigh, then slipping down further to tease you. 

You weren't sure how late it was by the time you settled next to each other in the bed, exhausted, but incredibly relaxed. Loki had given you a thorough demonstration of his godly stamina and you had never felt so intimate with anyone. So safe. So cared for.

“Admit defeat, mortal”, the god whispered as he brushed a kiss on your neck and settled cosily at your side, one large hand resting on your stomach. "Admit defeat and accept that I own you."

Your chest contracted painfully.

_So that was what this was all about? A game. Nothing more._

_Admit defeat._

You bit your lip, telling yourself that you shouldn't be disappointed, because you shouldn't have expected this to be more than it was - sex. Incredible, amazing, mind-blowing sex. But that's all that it was. At least for Loki.

You had sex with the God of Mischief and Lies. Lies. And mischief.

Why on earth had you even expected him to take this a little more seriously?

Apart from that, Loki fitted perfectly into your collection of men who weren't the right ones.

_Admit defeat._

You stared at the ceiling, feeling Loki's cool skin against your body.

_Admit defeat._

Loki's soft snore brought you back to reality. Carefully, you extracted yourself from his arms and he turned onto his side, cuddling the pillow. You watched him for a minute. He was beautiful and he sure as hell was the best sex you'd ever had, so you should at least be grateful for the pleasure you got out of this.

It was your thing, wasn't it? To be drawn to sexy, handsome men who were great in bed but useless when it came to more. When it came to feelings.

_Admit defeat._

You gathered your clothes and dressed, casting one last glance at the sleeping god, before you quietly left his quarters and made your way back to your room, where you showered and dressed. You packed your things and called a taxi. On the way downstairs, you typed a message to Tony.

_Hey, I've come down with the flu. Got a fever and went back home. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Just need to rest. Looks like I have to skip the last four days of my assignment. Will make sure that I'll send you my report as soon as I'm back up and running. Thank you for everything. Talk soon._

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, guys - had a set back. Keep your faith in me, please :)  
> much love!! <3
> 
> and enjoy this chappie

Your first day at home was filled with mundane tasks like unpacking, shopping, cooking, watching cute kittens on Youtube, making the bed, reading, doing the laundry, eating ice cream, watching funny cat compilations, and finally, when dinner time came around, more cooking. Somewhere in between, Tony called and asked if you needed anything, you said you were fine and just needed to rest. 

You managed to distract yourself all day from the nagging feeling in your stomach and the tight lump in your chest. Even though you were perfectly aware that distraction wasn't the proper way of dealing with being hurt, you had to admit - it worked a treat. That was, until Natasha rang to ask how you were doing. She wasn't buying for one second that you had suddenly fallen sick and you realised you weren't going to get away with trying to ignore the happenings of last night any longer.

“You slept with Loki”, she stated matter of factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

"Is that - a question or a statement?" You asked, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"Well, do you wanna talk about it?"

"I'm a therapist, Tash, shouldn't it be me asking that question. How - how did you even figure it out?”

“It wasn't that hard to figure it out, since the two of you have been bantering and flirting with each other for the last two weeks.”

“Excuse me? I was _not_ flirting with him.”

“You were playing _pranks_ on the God of _Mischief_ , that's the equivalent to flirting with him, I'd say.”

You groaned.

“I didn't see it coming, really. I mean, I was attracted to him, but he's a client. I never before - I shouldn't have – it's so unprofessional.” You stuttered awkwardly. 

“Even the most professional training can't protect you from your hormones, sweetheart. Apart from that, I'm sure he was worth it.” You could literally hear the smirk in her voice. 

“Well, he actually was – _amazing_ ”, you muttered with a sigh, remembering Loki's touch. There was a twinge in your chest. Damn it. 

“So, why did you run away then? Are you worried about getting in trouble? Regarding the job, I mean?”

If you had to be honest, this small detail hadn't even crossed your mind yet. That it was likely that you would be in serious trouble for sleeping with Loki, and while it certainly hadn't been the reason you escaped the tower, it may keep Natasha from asking more questions.

"If they ever found out, they would never accept my report on him." You offered, adding as much concern as possible to your voice.

There was a pause.

"Honey, I know you well enough to know that that's _not_ the reason you left."

"What are you? A clairvoyant psychotherapist?" You blurted out, feeling totally awkward and entirely unwilling to speak or even think about the situation. 

"No", Natasha said softly, "I am your friend."

You sighed. Natasha wasn't just your friend. She was one of your best friends.

You rolled your eyes at yourself. What exactly did that say about you, you wondered? That most of your good friends were former assassins and science freaks - and your lovers were alien princes?

"I'm sorry, Nat. I just, well, you know, I always fall for the wrong guys. And Loki just fits so perfectly to my list of failures. Sex is great, but I'd love to have a bit of romance and fluff attached. Is that too much to ask for? To sleep with someone who takes things seriously for a change?”

Natasha chuckled softly.

“Did you ever consider giving him a chance?”

“Loki? Are you kidding me? He doesn't _want_ a chance. He slept with me, so that he could prove to me that he can do whatever he wants. He's probably worse than any other guy I slept with - for Loki everything's a joke. The entire universe revolves around him, and only him, and I can't deal with that kind of men anymore. I don't _want_ to deal with that kind of men. Apart from that, god or not, he'd have to work very, very hard to win me over again, because he's competing with Mr Artful Deception." 

"Wait, your mystery man? Are you finally meeting him?”

“Meeting him? Heavens, no. I think it's perfect the way it is. He is nice. He's intelligent. Eloquent. He loves gardens, reading, doughnuts and ice cream. He's pretty perfect - I mean, what if I meet him and he turns out to be just like all others? ”

“Maybe you _should_ meet him to prove to you that he's not?”

“Maybe.” You murmured. 

“Just ask him.” Natasha encouraged you. 

“What if he's a total nerd? What if he's super ugly? What if he has a beard? I really don't like beards. Oh god, what if he says no? What if --”

“Girl! Stop it!" Natasha sniggered. "You're being ridiculous. If you never do it, you'll always ask yourself what would have happened, if you had. You need to take a risk."

"Take a risk. Great advice from a fearless, bad-ass super-hero", you countered sarcastically.

"Why don't you give him a hint about where you'll be having dinner on Thursday night", she suggested. "it's non-committal, but also far too tempting an opportunity to let pass, if he's interested in getting to know you."

You heaved another sigh.

"Well, I guess, my situation can't get any worse anyway."

“Your situation is not _that_ bad, sweetheart. Considering that you just spent a night with a god, you should be floating in the seventh heaven of delight or at least overflowing with oxytocin and serotonin.”

You chuckled.

“I was - until I realised that Loki is a selfish dick." You bit your lip. "Oh boy, somehow, he really managed hurt me - and now I feel sorry for myself, because I've done it again. I fell for the wrong guy."

“Because you have a soft spot for villains, that's why Tony hired you to do the job in the first place.” She muttered. 

“Wait – what? Tony hired me, because of _that_? Did he think I'd write a better report for Loki, because I'd be attracted to him?"

"Not exactly what I said - or meant." Natasha fell in, but you hardly listened to her, getting annoyed with Tony. 

"Fine, I have a soft spot for villains, but Tony's my friend, he really shouldn't take advantage of that." You grumbled."What can I do? I love the dominance and the air of danger. But I'm learning my lesson. In real life the Beast will ever turn into Prince Charming. In real life, men are either dark and dangerous or nice but boring. And since I'm looking for a change, I guess it's - no more villains for me."

"Sure, I'll remind you next time you bring one home", Natasha teased with a chuckle and you grunted.

"I could do with a little support here, my friend." You complained and laughed. Natasha was a master in putting you into a good mood. 

"Mind if I come over for a movie tomorrow night?" She asked. 

"I'd love that. As long as you don't bring any attractive bad boys. I need a good guy. Nice and boring."

"Ok, I'll bring Bruce along, then." She said and you laughed again, feeling a lot better already. 

"Bruce is not exactly boring, but I'd love to see the two of you. I'll make dinner, you bring the drinks."

"Great. See you tomorrow. Take care and have a good night, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Tash. Sweet dreams."

***

The report on Loki took you an entire two days to write. It was a challenge, because you had to disconnect yourself from your personal feelings which turned out more difficult than you thought. How had Loki managed to worm his way into your heart? Tony had asked you to write Loki's report in a way that would allow him to stay with the Avengers, which wasn't all that easy, because the government had their own agenda for the dark god. When you finally finished the report, you were satisfied with the result and pretty confident that Loki would stay where he was.

After you'd sent the email off to Tony, you scanned inbox, hoping to find a message from your mysterious friend, and what you found let your heart beat a little faster.

_artful_deception:_

"I haven't heard from you and thought to enquire if all is well. Our conversations have become dear to me and I hate to admit that I miss our exchange of thoughts and that you have made my life a lot less miserable. I hope you are well, little bookworm.”

_lil_bookworm:_

“I'm sorry. I've been unwell and my life has been slightly chaotic lately. In times like this, I really wish I could speak to my mum, she always knew how to make me feel more grounded. See things from a different perspective.”

_artful_deception:_

“My mother was like that. She would always find answers to my questions and solutions to my problems. She was a wise woman with endless patience and boundless love for me, alas, I am afraid that I was entirely unworthy of her affection. It took me a long time to admit my errors to myself and realise how much she truly cared. By the time I did, it was too late. And yet, the thought of her still comforts me in times of trouble.”

_lil_bookworm:_

"Your mother sounds lovely. It sounds as though you feel that you did not give her the appreciation she deserved, but I am certain that she knew how much you cared and loved her. Mothers have a thing for that kind of thing. They know us better than we do ourselves. My mum died a few years ago in an accident and I really miss her in times like this."

_artful_deception:_

"My mother was extremely beautiful. People toss that word around a lot, but my mother truly was. She passed away a while ago, and my father is not famous for intimacy, so I assume that I owe him my tendency to cover up unwanted emotions with sarcasm. And here I thought I would never have any of my father's traits. It is somewhat disturbing to admit that I might be closer to him than I wish to be.”

_lil_bookworm:_

"Sounds like your father is gave you a hard time. I never met mine, maybe I was lucky? ;)"

_artful_deception:_

"If you father was anything like mine, you certainly were. Have you read the book I recommended to you? And if so, how did you like it?"

_lil_bookworm:_

"I did! I finished it and now I'm reading it again, by randomly opening pages to see what comes to me. I'd wanted to read "The Prophet" for a while, so when you recommended it, I went straight to the bookshop to buy it. I love spiritual poetry. He manages to distill the essence of his experiences in few and profoundly beautiful words."

_artful_deception:_

"I was positively surprised when I discovered it. Khalil Gibran is very insightful. I am impressed that he actually grasped the basic complexity of the universe. Astounding, given the short life-span of a human being."

_lil_bookworm:_

"Do you think we should meet?”

There was a long pause and you almost slapped yourself for asking so directly. Then your phone chimed.

_artful_deception:_

“Meet?”

Ok, bad idea. Very bad idea.

_lil_bookworm:_

“Omg, I'm sorry. I love our relationship like it is. There's something magical about it and it was just a silly idea. So, maybe just forget about it.”

_artful_deception:_

“I cherish the anonymity we have and would not want to ruin our friendship.”

_lil_bookworm:_

“Neither would I. I'd just sometimes like to talk to you in person. When it comes to men, I tend to be attracted to jerks. You seem like a nice person for a change. I know, I don't know anything about you, but I'd be happy to take a risk."

_artful_deception:_

"I merely fear that you will be disappointed should you ever get to meet me."

_lil_bookworm:_

"Well, I'll be having dinner at 'Ribalta', a pizzeria on the corner of Broadway and 12th Street, on Thursday around 6pm. I'll bring a book and a flower, so you'll recognise me if you decide to come. But, hey, no pressure. It's up to you. I'm happy to keep things the way they are.”

***

Although, he had not committed to anything, you were prepared when Thursday evening rolled around. For a flower, you had chosen a rose. A white one. Not as suggestive as red, but still romantic. You chose a table that gave you a good view of the entrance, so that you could study people as they walked in. When the door opened, and you looked up, your jaw dropped.

What you hadn't expected to see was the Norse God of Lies and terrible humour. This could only be a cosmic joke. Why did Loki, of all people, have to show up here tonight?

The tall, raven-haired god entered, surrounded by the usual air of regal gracefulness that made some people in the restaurant look up in awe. He looked around briefly, before he caught your eye.

Damn it.

You quickly picked up the menu, bringing it up to your face in an attempt to hide behind it, but it didn't take long until a slender finger appeared on top of it and slowly pushed it down. 

"What a coincidence. Mind if I sit down?” Loki purred and when you glanced up, he was already pulling the chair out to sit down.

“Yes, I _do_ mind", you replied sharply. "I'm expecting someone.” 

You had to get rid of him, before he ruined the evening. What would your mysterious friend think, if he found you at a table with Loki?

The God of Mischief took his seat.

"I said. _Go_." You hissed, when Loki didn't move.

“Oh, but I came here to have a drink. Their hot chocolate is apparently 'to die for'. So, this is - a romantic endeavour?" He gestured towards the rose on the table, not trying to hide the smirk that was dripping with sarcasm.

“If it was, it wouldn't be any of your business." you snapped. “Would you, please, leave.” You rubbed your forehead.

“I will.” Loki settled more comfortably and waved the waitress over. “As soon as your friend comes", he said as he turned back to you. "Is he _late_?” He asked with feigned worry.

“He's coming.” You murmured, while Loki ordered a hot chocolate with cream.

“What are you reading?” He picked up the book and studied the cover. “Khalil Gibran. The prophet”, he muttered, flicking through the pages, before he halted and read out loud: "But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires: To melt like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love. And to bleed – willingly and joyfully.”

You realised that Loki had a beautiful, dark voice. Smooth like velvet. You noticed your moment of weakness and ripped the book from his hands. 

“Not a book you would understand. Too sentimental."

"It is a feeble attempt of a mortal to describe a glimpse of a reality that lies beyond the limited concepts of your meager society."

"It's about someone, who tries to see more in life than his _own_ interests. You wouldn't understand.” You hissed and Loki's eyes turned cold.

“As a matter of fact, I have read it.”

“Well, good for you!” You were annoyed, and yet, you were surprised that he actually admitted having read the book. 

“I think you would discover a lot of things if you really knew me.” Loki said. 

“If I _really_ knew you? Well, I think I know what I'd find. Instead of a man, I'd find an egomaniacal jackass. And instead of a heart, I'd find a block of ice.”

You brought your hand to your mouth, shocked and astounded by your own words.

“What is it?” Loki asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

“It's a breakthrough! I'm confronted with a horrible, insensitive man and I actually knew what I wanted to say _and_ I said it.”

“I think you have a gift for it. It was a splendid mixture of poetry and meanness.” The dark god scoffed.

“Meanness? I-”

“Do not misunderstand me, this was meant as a compliment.” Loki picked up the rose and smelled it. “White? The colour of purity and innocence? Are you attempting to mislead your suitor?"

You scowled at him.

“It's all just a joke to you, isn't it? Everything's a joke to you, Loki.” You watched him carefully put the rose down and said quietly, “Please, leave.”

"Is having a little fun such an abominable thing?" His voice was deep and full of challenge.

"If it's on other people's expense, then yes. How can you waste so much time with hate and regret and blaming others for your own actions?”

Loki's eyes snapped up to yours, burning into you.

“Is this what you think?”

“No, that's what I _see_.”

"Not long ago, I've thought of you as a deer. Gentle and shy. Then I thought you a fox, cunning and mischievous. But now I know what you truly are - you are a harpy."

"Charming as always. Well, maybe you should have been honest with me."

“Honest?”

“You lied to me.”

“i didn't lie to you.”

“You did.”

“I did not.”

"Not with words."

"What does that mean?"

"You tormented me for weeks, pretending you didn't like me, then you give me the orgasms of my life, you make me feel safe and pretend you care - only to tell me that it was all just a joke to you. A _joke_. You did it to make me admit defeat - you only slept with me to have a bit of fun."

"That's not what I meant -"

"And then you have the audacity to march in here, disregard my request for you to leave and make more fun of me."

"That's not - what I meant, either."

"Oh, poor god, I feel so sorry for you. I'm sorry I misunderstood you. I guess, I misunderstand that you're too good to care for the women you sleep with. But, hey, you're a god. You're special."

The door opened again. A tall young man entered, making you look up hopefully, but then he waved at someone at a table and you bit your lip.

"Well, I am going to take a wild guess that this is not him, either", the dark god said. "Who is he, I wonder? Will you be mean to him too? Will you start out sweet as sugar candy and then suddenly find that sharp little tongue of yours?"

_What the hell?_

"No, I won't." You leaned towards Loki and held his gaze. "I won't, because the man I'm waiting for is completely unlike _you_. The man I'm waiting for is kind, insightful and respectful. He is civilised and has a wonderful sense of humour."

Loki raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"But - I hate to point it out to you - he is not here."

"If he's not here, I'm sure he has a good reason, because there is no cruel or careless bone in his body. But, of course, I can't expect you to know anything about a person like that. You are nothing but a cold and heartless monstrosity of a god."

"That is my clue", Loki stood abruptly. "Good night."

With that he was gone. 

***

_lil_bookworm:_

"I've been thinking about you. Last night, I waited, hoping you would come, but you didn't. I felt so foolish. As I waited, someone else showed up, the man who has made my professional life a misery - and an amazing thing happened - I was able to say the exact thing I wanted to say. I was mean and cruel, and, of course, afterwards, I felt terrible. Just as you said I would. Even though he used to make my life hell, it didn't feel good.

I hardly believe that what I said mattered to him – I'm probably not more than a bug to be crushed under his boot - but what if it did? What if I hurt his feelings? And why does that bother me? This man broke my heart, so why do I feel so terrible?

You're my friend, and I wish I could talk to you right now, but I guess, I overstepped by asking you to meet me. If I did and if we never really connect again, I just want to tell you how much it has meant to me to know you were there. I sincerely valued our friendship. Thank you so much.

Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woah! Yikes! How is this going to be fixed?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hello everybody!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for all the comments and sorry, I haven't replied to all of them yet. Some of you asked for Loki's POV, so I tried to include Loki's side here too.   
> I hope you will enjoy this chapter!! Have fun!
> 
> Much love to you all 💕

“So, how'd it go? What happened?” Natasha inquired, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she stole another spoonful of your ice cream and looked at you expectantly. The two of you had settled at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, waiting for Tony, Thor and Peter, who had managed to round people up for a movie night.

“He never came”, you poked at the ice cream with your spoon.

“Wait. He stood you up?" Natasha licked the ice cream off her spoon, her eyebrows knitting together in a frown. "I just can't believe it!"

“I think something happened", you said. "Something unexpected - or maybe something terrible, that made it impossible for him to send me a message.”

“Something terrible happened?” Thor picked up the conversation as he entered and strolled over to where Natasha and you were sitting.

“The mystery man. He wasn't able to make it.” Natasha growled, dipping her spoon into the ice cream again.

“He stood you up?” Thor looked shocked. “Mortal men, they truly have no honour.” 

With a heavy sigh, the God of Thunder opened the cutlery drawer and grabbed a spoon. You offered him the ice cream and he helped himself.

"So, you believe something happened to your virtual suitor?" He nodded approvingly after taking a large spoonful of ice cream.

“Something happened, I'm sure.” You said, trying to sound neither too disappointed nor too worried. You hadn't heard from him ever since that evening, which had been on Thursday and today was Saturday. Maybe he had really decided to call it quits.

“What if there was a subway accident”, Natasha suggested. "A train, trapped underground with him inside. And no reception.”

“Or an automobile accident?” Thor offered.

“He could have emailed me afterwards. Maybe he did show up, took one look at me and left!” You moaned.

“Impossible.” Both Thor and Natasha said at once, which boosted your self-esteem a little.

Somebody cleared their throat, and the three of you turned around to look at Tony, who walked in with a newspaper in his hand.

“This is _Thursday's_ paper.” He said with an ominous undertone in his voice and handed you the New York Post.

The headline wrote: _"Cops nab rooftop killer"._

“What are you trying to say, Tony?” You asked and he raised his eyebrows at you.

“The killer." He gestured at the paper, "He was arrested on Thursday evening, two blocks from where you were going to meet your mystery lover.”

“ _Friend_.” You corrected him.

“Mister Artful Deception.” Tony shrugged. “A killer posing as a romantic poet? Artful deception, indeed.”

“Is there a picture of him?” Natasha fell in, taking the paper from you and flipping through the pages. She found a photo of a man with his jacket pulled over his head. You, Thor, and Natasha stared at it. Natasha shook her head. Thor let out a sigh. And you, rubbed your forehead.

“The reason your date didn't show up was, because he was in _jail_.” Tony concluded.

"No, he couldn't possibly be the rooftop killer."

“Well, considering your taste for dangerous, dark personalities ...” Tony started but when you narrowed your eyes at him he trailed off.

“I agree, Tony. He's not the rooftop killer.” Natasha folded the paper up and popped it in the bin, before she turned back to you. “So, how long did you sit there all alone?”

“Not that long”, you sighed and finally shoved a spoonful of ice cream into your mouth “Loki came and we --”

“My _brother_? He came to your date?” Thor leaned in, suddenly seeming all the more interested in the conversation.

“He didn't come to - well, he didn't know I was meeting someone and ... look, I really don't want to talk about it.” You pinched the bridge of your nose, which drew Tony's attention. 

“Did anything happen between you and the Sith Lord?” Tony asked. “I mean, after the all the pranking, I thought you finally got along. And the report you wrote for Loki was excellent.”

You bit your lip and tried to act as casual as possible. 

“It's just – Loki was annoying the hell out of me as soon as he realised I was on a date."

"He was obviously jealous", Tony stated. 

"My brother was jealous?" Thor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He wasn't jealous. More like - ludicrously insufferable. Maybe it's a good thing Mister Artful Deception didn't show up, who knows what Loki would have done or said to him.”

You really hoped that nobody would get any more wrong ideas about you and Loki, and, luckily Peter chose that very moment to step into the room, his arms full of Dvds.

“Hey guys! You won't believe what I've brought!” He laughed with his usual enthusiastic puppy smile. 

“Dvds?” Tony cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I thought we'd do it old school. No streaming. No downloading. Just good old Dvds." Peter's cheerful enthusiasm always made you smile and his bright grin immediately lightened your mood. He dropped all the dvds on the counter in front of you. "I brought some of those really old movies. Star Wars - the old ones, Back to the future, Aliens – I even got some Dr Who episodes.”

“Doctor – _Who_?” You could literally see the question mark blinking above Thor's head.

Peter patted his arm and started to explain. You grinned. This was definitely going to be an amusing evening. You would relax and stop thinking about either Loki or AD. It was time to distract yourself. 

***

“Hey, Mischief. I need to talk to you.” Natasha stepped into the elevator with Loki, who grinned and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Talk to me? About why you have been eyeing me like a hawk for the past days? Pun not intended." 

The red-head rolled her eyes and pressed the button to the floor where Loki's apartment was located.

"We need to talk in private, let's go to your apartment."

“My chambers? Do I need to fear for my chastity?" Loki teased her and she turned around, scowling at him. 

“As if you even knew what that word means, mister artful deception", she said and Loki blinked at her. 

“I beg your pardon?” The God of Mischief was unsure if he had merely misheard her or ... no, she couldn't possibly know ... could she?

“I worked it out”, Natasha said. 

Ok, maybe she did ... but deflecting was still worth a try.

“What, may I ask, are you talking about?” Loki said with a most innocent expression on his face.

She didn't answer, but stepped out of the elevator when the doors opened and followed him down the corridor to his apartment. As soon as they were inside, Natasha crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a dark glare.

“I will only ask this _once_ and I dare hope that you will not waste this chance." There was a glint in Natasha's eye that made Loki wary. She was suspecting him of something. And it wasn't anything good. "Whatever you are scheming, Mischief, you better let me in on it - right now. What are your plans with her?"

“Plans? With whom? I have no idea what you are -” Loki trailed off when Natasha moved. 

The assassin was fast, but not as fast as the dark god. The moment Natasha's gun aimed at Loki's forehead, his hand closed around Natasha's throat. Both of them froze, staring at each other. Natasha's eyes narrowed to slits, glinting dangerously, while Loki's green ones held an amused sparkle.

“I need to know if I can still trust you, Loki!” Natasha hissed. "Why are you writing her emails, pretending to be someone else? What are you planning?"

"You threaten me, assassin? I will crush that fragile windpipe of yours long before you would be able to pull the trigger." The god sneered, a devious smirk playing on his lips.

"I'd like to see you try." Natasha countered, cocking an eyebrow at him. The God of Mischief released her, bringing his palms up in a gesture of defence.

“You can still trust me, assassin" he said as he took a step back. "My online acquaintance with the woman is - even though you may find this hard to believe - purely unintentional."

Natasha relaxed, but Loki noticed that she didn't slip the gun back into her belt, but kept it in her hand. The dark god slumped down on the couch. The one time, he'd actually not even tried to deceive anyone, people were still suspecting him to. Well, he couldn't really blame them. 

"I had no idea who she was before I met her at the restaurant, and you cannot blame me for going there. I was curious about the little bookworm."

"The little bookworm?"

"That is the name she uses online. Deceivingly sweet for such a wicked wench." Loki growled and Natasha sat down next to him, finally stacking the gun away. 

"You mean, you really didn't know? Does that mean that the God of Mischief was pranked by _fate_?" She giggled softly, which earned her a snarl from Loki. 

"And it seems that the Norns have a terrible sense of humour", the god scoffed. "Judging by her letters, this woman should be the most adorable creature in this entire realm. You have no understanding of how utterly disgraceful and humiliating it was to feel _nervous_ about meeting her", he rubbed his forehead and groaned softly, "I felt like an idiotic adolescent. Wondering what her voice would sound like - would it be soft like velvet? Sweet or smoky? What would she look like? I was fawning over a mortal woman as if she was a goddess. Spying through the window ... when I saw who the mysterious woman truly was, I was - at a loss for words. I decided to leave, but I had to know. I had to know how she managed to deceive me all this time."

"How did she deceive you?"

"This woman seduced me with innocent, sweet words in her letters, while in truth, her tongue is more venomous and deadly than even dragon's blood." 

"Is that the master of deception complaining about being deceived? Ever heard of Karma?" Loki narrowed his eyes at Natasha and she smiled and patted his arm. "I don't think she deceived you, Loki. I think she's just very upset. I know about the night you spent together. Why didn't you call her?"

"Call her? It was her who left without a word. Not only my bed, but also the tower, and her duties. She never cared to inform me of her reasons and it does not need profound psychological insight to understand that this woman has no interest in me."

"As far as I know she believes you tricked her into bed."

"Of course", Loki huffed, sarcasm dripping from his voice "What else could one expect from the God of Lies?" 

"Oh, come on, Mischief. Maybe you said something that upset her?"

"Every single word I say seems to upset this woman. That is why I chose to speak the least amount of words possible that night." He ran his fingers over his forehead, rubbing the skin. "Anyhow, it does not matter anymore."

"Of course, it does. You are her mystery man and she's worried that something terrible happened to him, because she hasn't heard from you."

"Worries will fade with time."

"Wait, you're just going to leave it like this? Not tell her, I mean?"

"It is for the better."

"It's not fair. And you're lying to her."

"I am not lying. Merely withholding the entire truth."

"Coward", Natasha muttered and Loki growled and straightened up. 

"Careful, assassin, may I remind you that you are talking to a god?"

"You mean the God of Lies? Is that your excuse?"

Loki rose, pacing the lounge. 

"And what good do you think will come of the truth? What will she do, the moment she finds out that her mysterious friend is the person she hates with all her heart?"

"Loki. She doesn't _hate_ you."

"Oh, believe me, she does. And it is beginning to become a mutual sensation."

"You two are ridiculous. You really need to talk. Has she written to you since Thursday night?"

"She has."

"And? What did she say?"

"I have not opened the email."

"Why not?"

"Because she is a spiteful creature and it is not - not -"

"Not what?"

"She is not what I had hoped for. She is not who I expected her to be."

the dark god sat down again, ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"If it's any consolation, it's lucky that she didn't stay with you that night, because it could cost her her license. Apparently some government officials didn't agree with the report she wrote on you, so now they're trying to slip her up. If they ever find out about that night, she will lose her job and they will declare the report she wrote on you invalid - which means you will be handed over to the military or whoever wants you most. She worked damn hard to make you stay in the tower, you know."

Loki was silent for a minute or two, then he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I noticed those men in black snooping around like weasels, but I - I believed that she had sold me to them. I believed that she supported them."

"You really don't know her, do you? She would never allow her personal feelings to cloud her judgement of a client."

"But - I used her. Why would she want what is best for me?" Loki's forehead creased in a frown. 

"Because, she believes in second chances. Because she's one of those people who hope that bad guys will eventually turn good. That's why she always falls for the wrong men. Should the officials question you, don't jeopardise her job."

"Are you really expecting me to ..."

"And should you decide to answer that email she sent you, don't break her heart."

***

An entire week passed and when you did not hear from your mysterious friend, you concluded that he'd decided not to contact you anymore. Your luck with men was well and truly _tough_.

The following week was sheer torment. After Tony handed in the report on Loki, government officials started investigating you, evidently unhappy with your professional opinion that Loki should remain in the tower, as it provided the most secure environment to settle into life on Earth. Somehow they had found a video that showed you entering Loki's apartment the day before you fell sick and staying there for hours before you left. What followed was a long day of questioning. You were positive they had pieced one and one together, but lied to them anyways. Telling them that you had been feeling unwell and needed to talk to Loki about how to handle things from there. You hoped that Loki would do the same if they questioned him. That he would lie. He was the God of Lies, after all. He was good at lying. But you weren't sure if he was keen on protecting you. 

They kept you in suspense, while you feared the worst. The worst meant that you would lose your licence. Lose your clients. Your job. Maybe even go to jail for lying to them about Loki.

And when the night seemed darkest, the unexpected happened – you got mail.

You stared at the email in your inbox for a good five minutes before you opened it. It was ridiculous how nervous you suddenly felt.

_artful_deception:_

Dear friend,

I must apologise for not contacting you earlier, but I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive the delay. I cannot tell you what happened to me that night and I feel terrible about leaving you exposed to a man you despise so much. You expected me, someone you trust, and met the enemy instead. I am sure that whatever you said to this man was provoked and maybe even deserved. Someday, I will explain everything. Meanwhile, I am still here and hope you will talk to me.

_lil_bookworm:_

Omg! I was so worried about you. Sooo worried!! Since I didn't hear from you, I feared the worst - that there'd been an accident or something equally bad. That you were hurt - or worse! But just those few lines you sent make me unbelievably happy. I'm sure you had a good reason not to come and I'm so, so relieved to hear from you. Are you well?

_artful_deception:_

I can assure you that your worries are unfounded, and I am glad that you are eager to continue our friendship. Forgive my curiosity, but you mentioned that this man broke your heart, may I ask how? I thought that he was merely a work relation?

_lil_bookworm:_

Oh god. I made the mistake of … well, I tend to make mistakes all the time when it comes to men. I'm always attracted to the wrong kind. The arrogant, selfish, egomaniac kind. But I'm afraid he mistake was my biggest so far and I feel especially terrible about it, because he was a client. Yes, I'm a despicable person for falling in love with a client and spending a night with him. this has never happened before. I never allow my love life to interfere with work, ever. I don't get attracted to clients. And for some naive reason, I thought he was different. Thought that he was better, but he was far worse. He used me and I feel so stupid. It was nothing more than a power game to him.

_lil_bookworm:_

Oh god, I really shouldn't have told you any of this and I'm shocked that I actually pressed the "send" button and sent it off. At least, now you know who you are dealing with. Maybe you are happy now that you couldn't come that Thursday. 

_artful_deception:_

I asked you about it, because I wanted to know, and I am grateful you chose to answer so honestly. We are friends and you wanted to talk to me, did you not?

_lil_bookworm:_

Yes, just maybe not about _him_.

_artful_deception:_

I understand. I wish I could have mustered the courage to be there for you. May I just ask, why did you think of him as being different?

_lil_bookworm:_

I - well, I really don't know anymore. He's the epitome of a bad guy - handsome, super intelligent, cocky, funny and dangerously arrogant. But he seemed to be so much more. I thought I could feel a vulnerability underneath all those layers of arrogance. When I was with him that night, he felt so different. And I - I felt so incredibly safe and sheltered. It was a new thing for me. To feel protected. That's why his betrayal hurt so badly and seeing him brought it all back. But having you back in my life is like the sun appearing behind the clouds. You are my ray of light.

I've been through a lot the past week, and am not sure if I'll still have a job to go back to on Monday. Maybe I'm finally getting the bill for being sleeping with a client and for being mean. Instant karma, I guess. It's so odd you know, three months ago, when we first met, I thought I knew everything about myself. What I would be doing for the rest of my life. Now, I don't even know what's going to happen tomorrow. It's as if my whole life has been turned upside down and I'm stuck, hanging in mid-air. Why does change always have to be so frightening?

_artful_deception:_

Because change brings uncertainty, and human beings fear the unknown. It is unpredictable. Incomprehensible. You fear change, while, in fact, change offers you an infinite amount of new possibilities - which can be a frightening prospect, too, because you tend to feel small and insignificant. What I am attempting to say is, that whatever you experience as bad may only be a catalyst to allow you to experience something better. Even though it appears chaotic, change can bring many good things. It's all about your choices. But I am certain that you will always make good choices, because you are a good person. 

_lil_bookworm:_

Your words are so beautiful .. and no, I'm not crying right now. Thank you for having such faith in me. You are a good person, too, and I hope we will meet one day. Most importantly, we are still friends. Thank you so much for this.

_artful_deception:_

I do not know what to say that. Truly, I do not. It feels as though anything I say would sound trite. I thank you, too, little bookworm.

***

The next time you saw Loki was at Tony's Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a small, casual get together amongst friends. Pepper had arranged a wonderful catering and Clint even brought Laura along, while Loki brought - Fidelity, the art student from the coffee shop. You couldn't believe your eyes when he walked in with the girl on his arm. At dinner they sat next to each other, chatting and laughing. He had evidently moved on quite effortlessly.

Not that you should have expected anything else. You had been nothing more than a conquest. A name to put into his little black book, that he was, without doubt hiding somewhere. After dinner, everyone settled in the lounge and you plopped down at the bar, chatting with Tony.

“They make a great looking pair, don't they?” You said, trying to hide your spite, as Tony offered you a drink.

“Who?” He hummed.

“Loki and Fidelity.” You clarified.

“Is she even old enough to date him?” Tony raised an eyebrow and swirled the whisky in his glass.

“Nobody on this planet would be old enough to date him", you replied. "Apart from some Egyptian mummies, maybe, but I doubt that _he_ would date one of those."

Tony sniggered and took a swig from his drink. 

"He's officially trying to do something right for once, which is a miracle in itself."

"What can be right about dating a twenty year old art student? I mean, considering he's a one _thousand_ year old god?"

"He was trying to save your reputation and it actually worked.”

You choked on your drink.

“Save my – what the hell?” You were sure your eyes were about to pop out of you head as you stared at Tony.

“Of course, he didn't tell you, because he would never admit it to you. He was concerned that they were trying to frame you for having an affair with him, so he made it clear that he was never interested in you.”

"Oh." You emptied your glass. "Yup, he made that - quite clear."

"Yeah, it worked, because she confirmed that Loki's been coming to the cafe she works in quite a bit and that he had been dating her for a while. By the way, you never mentioned to me that he was having an eye on her. And - dating her? That was a surprise to all of us."

"I didn't think he was taking it seriously."

"Well, they're having a good time, so it seems he is. And since the government hasn't found anything else they could use to refute your report, Loki is staying at the Tower and you won't lose your licence. So, everyone's happy and we should celebrate!"

"Yeah", you muttered, casting another glance at Fidelity and Loki. "Let's celebrate."

  
***

A couple of days later, you were sick.

This time it really was the flu and you were lying on your couch, groaning, watching tv and blowing your nose until it hurt. You had already gone through an entire box of Kleenex, which were now decorating the coffee table and the floor like fluffy white clouds.

You felt pathetic.

That was, until your phone chimed.

  
_artful_deception:_

Why haven't you written?

A smile crept on your face. Yes! He missed you!

  
_lil_bookworm:_

I have a cold. The flu. My ears are blocked, my nose is clogged. I'm drinking ginger tea with honey and I'm listening to soppy love songs. I can't do much apart from lying in bed and thinking about my mum. Christmas season is just around the corner and it always reminds me of her. The magic in the air, the lights around the city. The time of year when mum would take me ice skating at Rockefeller Center and we'd go have a hot chocolate afterwards.

The door bell rang and you groaned. 

_lil_bookworm:_

I'm sorry, someone's at my door. Be back soon, my friend.

You flopped the phone on the couch and rose, dragging yourself down the hallway, to press the button for the intercom.

“Hello?”

“Hello there. It's Loki.” 

For a moment you were too perplexed to process what you had just heard.

"Uhm. Who?" You asked, reaching up to feel your forehead. It didn't seem hot, but you were entirely sure that you were hallucinating. 

“Loki. God of Mischief and Lies. _That_ Loki.” The deep, velvet voice floated through the Intercom.

What in god's name was going on?

“What - what are you doing here?” Not only was it confusing that Loki was here, but it was somewhat disconcerting that he actually knew where you were living. 

“May I come upstairs?” He asked without answering your question and you just stared at the intercom for a moment.

 _Uhm._ _Try to regain your composure, girl, just get rid of him somehow._

You cleared your throat.

“Coming - upstairs? That's really not a good idea, Loki. I have a terrible cold. I mean, can you hear it? I'm sniffling and I'm not really awake --” You rambled. “And I'm contagious - and practically sleeping 24 hours a day and taking echinacea – and vitamin C ... so I'd appreciate it if you could come some other time.” 

You let go of the intercom button and almost jumped out of your skin, when there was a loud knock on your door.

Frowning you peered through the peep hole.

_Oh my god. There he was. Right in front of your door. How the hell did he get inside?_

Loki called your name and you simply panicked. 

“Just a second!” You squeaked, rushing into the bedroom to grab a robe and pull it on over your pyjamas. On the way through the lounge, you noticed the state your apartment was in and frantically tried to scoop up the piles of crumpled tissues and empty take away containers. 

_What the dickens was Loki doing here?_

When you finally returned to the door and opened it, you were greeted by a neatly groomed dark god in an expensive looking three piece suit, complete with silk scarf and fine wool coat. The expression on the god's face was unreadable, but not unkind, and when your gaze met his, you thought that Loki's emerald eyes softened. And yet, something inside you bristled.

“Loki. Why are you here? Have you come to gloat? To mock?” You crossed your arms over your chest, trying to figure out how you felt about him showing up at your door step ... and interrupting your conversation with AD. 

“Natasha said you were sick and I wished to --" He looked past you into the living room. "Is someone here?”

You shook your head. "Just the shopping channel. Not that I'd be able to buy anything, since you put me out of business.”

The dark god frowned. 

“As far as I know, you kept your licence?”

"I did keep my license, but they didn't like the fact that I got away with it, so they made sure I lost my job with the firm I work for. Rumours can go a long way, if they come from influential people. I was fired."

You could have been wrong, but you thought that Loki looked somewhat stricken. Maybe he really felt sorry?

"That is unfortunate. I was unaware of this." He was thrown off for a moment, then seemed to remember something and held up a bunch of flowers wrapped in tissue paper. "I came to bring you these."

"Shouldn't you save the pretty flowers for Fidelity?" You scoffed and bit your lip. 

"We are not - together, if that is what you think."

"That's too bad, you seemed so perfect for each other." You clasped your hand over your mouth. "Good god, I don't mean to say things like that. No matter what you have done to me, there is no excuse for my saying things like that. But every time I see you --”

“Things like that just seem to fly out of your mouth.” Loki finished the sentence for you. 

“Yes. I'm sorry. I'm starting over – thank you for coming over to bring me flowers. Goodbye.” You held the door open and gestured for him to leave.

“Why don't I put them into some water”, Loki ignored you and headed for the kitchen while you closed the door with a sigh and followed him. 

“You are unwell, why don't you sit down?” Loki pulled out one of the chairs, and you surrendered, watching him as he filled the kettle and switched it on.

“Where do you keep vases?” He asked politely.

“Upper left.”

The tall dark god opened the cupboard and you were bemused how easily he reached the vases on the top shelf. You had to get up onto your toes to even be able to touch them, that's why you kept a stool in the kitchen, so you could reach things on the upper shelves.

Your breath caught in your throat when Loki unwrapped the flowers and you saw what they were. 

“How did you know?” You whispered with open bewilderment. 

“How did I know what?” Loki cocked an eyebrow at you. 

“That these are my favourite flowers.” You regarded the beautiful blossoms with awe.

“You must have told me.” He shrugged innocently. You were sure that you hadn't. 

“They're so friendly. Don't you think they are the friendliest flowers?” 

The dark god did not answer, but placed the flowers in a vase and on the table beside you. You pulled them close, gingerly touching the petals and smelling their fragrance.

"Fidelity and I are not --"

"Really, you don't have to explain, Loki." You quickly shook your head, pushing the vase away from you. 

"But I would like to. We were never together. She merely agreed to play along to save your reputation."

"Yeah, right. I didn't ask anyone to save my reputation." You grumbled. 

Loki's pressed his lips together, but did not react. 

"Tea?" He asked instead, and you pointed to the cupboard on his left. 

Not entirely sure what to make of this entire situation, you kept watching him. He pulled two mugs from the shelf, placed tea bags into them and poured the boiling water. 

“When you showed up that night", you stammered, thinking that maybe it was a good time to talk about this, "I mean, at the pizza place. I was --” 

“Charming.” Loki fell in.

“I wasn't charming.” You scowled at him.

“You _looked_ charming.” He corrected himself with a soft smile. Why did he have to be so nice all of a sudden?

“I was upset with you and I was – horrible.” You blurted out and Loki turned to catch your gaze.

“Believe me, I can be far more horrible, my dear.”

“True, but I have no excuse.”

“Whereas I am a horrible person and have no choice but to be horrible, is that what you are saying?” The God of Mischief looked at you with an expectant sparkle in his eyes. 

You sighed.

“No. I think I'm done saying horrible things, even to you, Loki.”

“And yet, you did it again. Maybe - you have every right to hate me.”

“I don't - hate you -”

“But you will never forgive me either."

“My head's feeling funny, I better get back to bed.” You picked up the cup and the vase and wandered into your bedroom, where you placed them on the nightstand and slipped underneath the duvet. Loki followed you, sitting down on the side of your bed and you looked at him for a long minute.

“Why did you come here, Loki?” 

Those green eyes rested on you and for a moment he seemed vulnerable. Like a little boy, who's not entirely sure what to say.

“Because I would like to be your friend.” His voice was soft, when he spoke, taking you by surprise. “I know that might be impossible, but what can I say? I am intrigued by the impossible."

You rolled your eyes. 

"May I ask you something?” He asked after another moment of silence. 

“What?”

“What happened to the man you were going to meet that evening?”

“Nothing.”

“But you seemed infatuated with him.”

“I was – I am. But, I actually don't know him. He didn't come.”

“I see.”

“We don't really know each other, we've never met before.”

“Let me guess, you met him 'online' – on that world wide web of yours.”

“I read one of his poems and found it beautiful, so we got to chat and somehow we've been writing each other since.”

“You send each other those electronic letters?”

“Emails. Yes. It's been going for about three and a half months.”

“And you never met each other?”

“He didn't come that night. But he sent me a message.”

“So, he arranged another meeting?”

“No. I think we're going to end up sending letters to each other for the rest of our lives. Nothing beats a platonic relationship”, you smiled weakly. “At least we can't disappoint each other.”

“I believe you should ask him out again.”

“I hardly need advice from someone who--”

Loki suddenly leaned forward and pressed two fingers on your lips.

“I concede that I bring out the worst in you, but may I ask that you do not say whatever you wished to say to avoid you feeling terribly guilty afterwards?”

His touch sent a trickle of sparks through your body. Loki kept his finger on your lips as he looked at you with clear, deep eyes.

What are you doing to me?

"Do you consider it possible that we could be friends?" He asked carefully, as he retracted his hand.

“Maybe you are not as terrible as I think you are. Do you-” You hesitated. “Why do you want us to be friends?”

“Because you believe in second chances.”

“You think I forgive so easily? How can I ever trust you again? Friends trust each other, Loki. You played with me.” 

Ok, he did look like a scolded puppy now and you were almost certain that he would close up any minute, jump from the bed and leave with a spiteful comment. Instead, he looked at his hands. 

“I realise that my actions have not been entirely honourable, but they were also not entirely malicious or callous either. When I found you gone I was under the impression that you were displeased with what had happened, so I decided not to contact you. But then, I - I realised that you had truly attempted to make an effort to get to know me, which, I can tell you from experience, is an impossible thing. You were right, I did not want you to trust me, but when you were gone, I wished that I could. I want you to trust me.”

"Why?"

Loki looked up at you with an unusual vulnerability painting his features.

"Because I would like to trust _you_."

  
_"Loki. Why are you here? Have you come to gloat? To mock?" -- Have you come to gloat? - Believe it or not, this is an actual line from "You've got mail". It's the line that made me write this story. It made me laugh, because I had imagined Loki instead of Tom Hanks fairly early on in the movie and thought - wouldn't it be fun to have a story like this? So, "have you come to gloat?" sealed the deal._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! This chappie was meant to be a little longer, but I thought I give you what I have so far and post the rest tomorrow. I managed to write a large part of it already... just needs a little tweaking. 
> 
> Thank you for kudos and comments!!! I love them all so much! 
> 
> Enjoy!!

“We should meet, and we will meet. But I am in the middle of a project right now that needs … _tweaking_.” You read out loud.

“ _Tweaking_? This is what he said?” Loki looked at you with a slight frown which made the skin between his eyebrows crinkle and when one of his brows turned upwards, it gave him the perfect lost puppy look.

The god sipped thoughtfully on his iced chai latte, while you carefully nipped on your hot matcha latte and tried to ignore the fact that Loki, the lost puppy, set a whole bunch of butterflies loose in your stomach, so you quickly glanced out the window. It was a grey winter day and yet there were crowds of people milling about in Times Square. Loki and you had been out for a walk and stopped at Star Bucks to warm up. Well, to be honest, you were the one who needed warming up since Loki had an innate resilience to low temperatures.

“That's what he said", You muttered absentmindedly before you turned back to the god next to you, whose eyes narrowed. "Why? What are you thinking?” 

“That he is likely married”, he said nonchalantly.

“That's a terrible thing to say, Loki.” You gasped.

“I am a terrible person, remember?” He gave you his signature smirk.

“I thought we were past that”, you smacked his arm, shaking your head. “And I don't believe he's married. I mean, we've been writing each other for months ... what makes you think he's married?”

“If I was in his place, I would evade an answer if I had something to hide … and it does sound as though he has something to hide - quite likely that he is married.”

“Luckily, he's not you”, you huffed.

Those dark eyebrows knitted together in another puppy frown, before the god's face settled into the cold mask that you didn't see so much nowadays. You realised too late how insensitive you'd been. How was it that Loki just brought this side out in you? You'd never been a callous person. You were a therapist, for crying out loud.

“Charming as always", he scoffed. "I was merely offering my opinion as a friend."

You took a gulp from your drink and looked away. The problem with Loki was that he - did something to you. His presence gave you shelter, there was no other way to describe it, and his voice seemed to lull you into comfort and safety. Over the past weeks, Loki had become a friend and you valued his presence in your life. But then, there were these moments, when his smile gave you butterflies, and the purr in his voice sparked a deep longing inside you for his touch, which you'd obviously never admit to him, since you didn't even want to admit it to yourself. It was in these moments that you had to remind yourself not to make the same mistake. The mistake you had made over, and over, and over again. The mistake of falling for the wrong guy. 

It was infuriating thought that the man you wanted to be with was seemingly avoiding to meet you, while the man who you were seeing almost every day was not the right one. The situation was confusing. 

"It's just that your view of the world has such a narrow range, Loki, I sometimes wonder how, after one thousand years, you can still waste so much time on hate and regret." You muttered, slightly irritated.

"Is that what you think?" The dark god hissed.

"It is what I see." You replied and bit your lip. 

Why was it so hard to apologise to him? It was honest, but also a mean thing to say and as a therapist you should know better than to say this to a friend, even by accident. Loki took a deep breath, his green eyes glinting dangerously and you prepared for either a tirade of insults or for him to leave. 

“Well, have you asked him?” You looked up, totally surprised that he brought the conversation back to the topic without reacting to what you had said. When you didn't answer, he said, “I mean, have you asked him: _'Are you married?'_ ”

“No.” You said a little too defensively and took another gulp of matcha. 

The God of Mischief rolled his eyes and snorted.

“I may be full of hatred and regret, but at least I am not foolish enough to put my trust into someone I do not know."

  
***

_Lil_bookworm:_

I know this is probably a little late to be asking, but are you married?

 _artful_deception_ :

Am I married? What kind of a question is that? I believed you knew me better. Oh, let me guess. One of your friends is telling you that the reason we have not met yet is that I am married. Am I right?

_Lil_bookworm:_

You are. *sigh* As always. 

_artful_deception:_

It sounds as though your friends are concerned for you. Do they fear that I am attempting to deceive you?

_Lil_bookworm:_

Well, this particular friend is just seeing the world in his own way. I guess, he may be a little worried, even though he would probably never admit it. 

_artful_deception:_

It sounds as though the two of you are close. Could he be jealous? Am I already making enemies?

_Lil_bookworm:_

Jealous? No, I don't think so. We are friends. Well, we've become friends over the past weeks. You may think me foolish, but this friend is the man I told you about. The one who showed up the night I was hoping to meet you. 

_artful_deception:_

The man who broke your heart? Is he treating you well? Last time you wrote about him, he sounded rather untrustworthy. Do I have cause for worry?

_Lil_bookworm:_

You're so sweet. No need to worry. He's been very kind, actually. He came to see me a few weeks ago and apologised. He asked if I thought it was possible we became friends and I'm relieved we sorted things out. 

_artful_deception_ :

Does that mean that you forgave him? What I am trying to ask is ... are you still - interested in him?

_Lil_bookworm:_

God, no! He's a friend. Nothing more. And, I mean, he asked if we could be friends, so that's kind of saying a lot as well. 

_artful_deception_ :

I see. I merely thought it wise to ask, as I would not wish to interfere. Are you quite certain? 

_Lil_bookworm:_

I'm determined not to fall into the shady character trap anymore. I told you that I usually fall for the wrong guys and he's not the kind of man I'd want to be with anymore. 

_artful_deception_ :

But you forget that none of us are perfect. " _We are all like the bright moon, we still have our dark side."_

_Lil_bookworm:_

Did you actually just quote Kahlil Gibran? How do you do that so smoothly? You're right, we all have a dark side, unfortunately I tend to fall for the kind of men that are more like the new moon - almost no light and a lot of darkness. 

_artful_deception_ :

To speak the truth, my friend, the reason for not meeting you is cowardice. I fear that what you will find, may not be what you seek. You see in me what you wish to see and I am wary of what you will find when you meet me. You may remember the passage that says:

 _"I have found both freedom and safety in my madness; the freedom of loneliness and the safety from being understood, for those who understand us enslave something in us.”_

Believe me, I understand the meaning of these words better than most. For a long time I denied myself to leave my darkness, to open up to somebody else, but in you, in you I finally found solace. You enslaved me with your sweet words, your kindness and your warmth. 

I fear that should we meet, I may not satisfy your expectations, and you may misunderstand my intentions. 

_"One day you will ask me which is more important? My life or yours? I will say mine._

_... and you will walk away not knowing that YOU are my life."_

_Lil_bookworm:_

Holychrist!! This is the most beautiful thing anyone ever said to me. But you forget that I may not be what you seek, either. Well, to be frank with you, it's easy to be kind to you, because you've been kind to me all along. You've enthralled me with the magic of your words, the beauty that lies in your poetry and the wisdom that is hidden in between the lines. But I can be incredibly insensitive and rude, no matter how hard I try not to be. I am not perfect either. I'm actually rather ordinary. Maybe we both won't find what we are looking for? ... we could always chose the safe option and stay pen pals ... but how will we ever know, if we never even try? 

_artful_deception_ :

Then let me give you a promise, little bookworm. Should you still wish to meet me, we shall meet on the first day of the new year. A new year. A new beginning. There is a place on 63rd street, between Madison and Park Avenue, called Majorelle. They have delightful pastries and also cater excellent food and wine. So, this time, it is I who extends the invitation and I will leave it entirely up to you to accept it. 

_Lil_bookworm:_

Oh my god! Did you really just ... Majorelle? EEEK! (Sorry, that wasn't very sophisticated, but I couldn't help it) ... A deal is a deal, I will see you.

***

“So, he basically did not answer the question.” Loki bent forward, tying the laces of the ice skates you hired. You had decided to take him ice skating at Rockefeller Centre to give him the true "New York experience". You almost feared that they wouldn't have his size, as Loki had astoundingly large feet, not surprising considering his height. In the end the lady at managed to find a pair that fit him and you grinned when Loki regarded the shoes with a look of dread on his face.

“Not directly”, you said, fixing your own shoes. "I'm sure he's not married though."

Loki hummed knowingly.

“What?” You halted to look up at him.

“Nothing.” He pursed his lips a little.

“What?!” You repeated with a little more force.

“It is somewhat suspicious, don't you think?” The dark god straightened up, tried how the shoes fit and moved his feet so he could stand.

“It's not suspicious. He knew exactly why I was asking him that question. He knows me, which is why I like him.” You stood as well, started walking over to the ice skating rink, then waited for Loki to catch up. He looked astoundingly graceful considering he was wearing ice skating shoes for the first time.

“But he did not exactly answer you, did he?” Loki raised his eyebrows at you as you stepped out onto the ice and held out your hand for him to take. “Well, did he?” He asked again as he took hold of your hand and followed you onto the ice.

“No, he didn't”, you sighed audibly, as you moved backwards and the god followed along, taking his first unsteady strides. Much to your astonishment, Loki was far more skilled than you expected, but then, he'd been trained in martial arts for an entire millennia, it would only be natural for him to pick this kind of skill up fairly fast.

“You know, I'm amazed how fast you're picking this up, Loki! Surprising for someone your age”, you teased him and he grinned, green eyes gleaming with delight.

“I am a god” he said proudly, just before he stumbled. You quickly reached out to steady him and ended up in his arms. “Oops”, the tall god muttered softly, which made you giggle. 

“Oops? That's not very god-like. And it seems that 'pride comes before the fall' is a universal law that works even for gods”, you teased him and he offered you a sassy smirk in reply. Over the past weeks, it was as though you had discovered a different Loki. One who was light-hearted, funny, mischievous, and most of the time - a perfect gentleman. 

When the god pulled you slightly closer and your breath hitched, but he merely did it to take your hands in his before he prompted you to guide him over the ice.

It took a mere ten minutes for Loki to master the stride and soon he let go of your hands and moved over the ice by himself, as if he'd been ice skating his entire life.

“Why would he delay in meeting you, if he's not married?” Loki was skating backwards as he spoke to you, showing off his new skill. “Maybe he is particularly ugly. Or, maybe ...” He suddenly looked worried.

“What?”

“Nevermind.” He quickly shook his head.

“What??”

“Well, he could be waiting until he is paroled.” He finally offered. 

“Seriously??? Oh, come on! You're just as bad as Tony! He thought that AD is the rooftop killer, which is completely ridiculous, by the way.”

“Then what about this name he uses? Artful deception? Does that not sound suspiciously criminal?” Loki countered, not convinced.

“You would know, of course.” You replied smugly.

“Exactly. You should trust my judgment when it comes to criminals.” He winked and you rolled your eyes at him.

“He's a poet, not a criminal. Maybe he just thought it's a cool name. And, he promised to meet me."

"He keeps saying that."

"This time he gave me a date."

"He did? And you trust that he will come, after what happened the last time you were _destined_ to meet?" Loki sniggered.

"You can make fun of me, if you like. It doesn't really matter. The only thing I really care about – besides the married thing … and the jail thing … is the villain thing.”

“The villain thing?”

“I swore to myself that I will never make _that_ mistake again.”

“Well, it seems the Norns are on my side. As far as I know, I am retired. Even the government deems me an _ex_ -villain.”

“That's close enough to villain for me, which means that you and I will never be together.” It slipped out of your mouth before you knew it and Loki responded with a hiss.

“Don't flatter yourself, mortal. I do not _wish_ for us to be anything _more_ than friends.” He growled and turned away. For a few minutes, both of you remained silent, but eventually it was Loki who picked up the conversation again.

“How is your _blog_ coming along?” He suddenly asked and you were relieved that he wasn't angry. Loki seemed genuinely interested in your work. 

"It's coming along well. I've been looking into new treatment for trauma, studying new approaches. It's been quite rewarding, actually, it's astounding to think that, if I hadn't lost my job, I'd never had the time to work on something this ...” You broke off for a moment, the meaning of your own words sinking in.“I wouldn't have been able to write something so comprehensive, if I hadn't lost my job. I might even turn it into a book. I guess, AD was right. Change _can_ bring new opportunities. It was him who put that idea in my head – to write a blog, I mean.”

“AD”, Loki scoffed. “Mister felony indictments ...”

“Mister insightful, trustworthy friend.”

“Yes, well, it seems I cannot compete with that.” The dark god sneered and steered away from you.

"Loki!"

"What is it, little mortal?" He turned around, crossing his arms over his chest, as he kept moving. 

"I'm - I'm sorry!"

"And why should I accept your apology, when you keep comparing me with some man you have not even met?"

"I am _not_ comparing you to him. Why is it that you always _react_ whenever we talk about AD?"

"Why? Why do I despise him? Because your eyes light up in a most disconcerting way when you talk about him. Because you believe him to be perfect. You trust a stranger. Do you not see how foolish this is? You have the audacity to tell me that I only see what I wish to see? You are a hypocrite." Loki's bitter sarcasm was back with a vengeance and you wondered if ...

"Are you - are you jealous, Loki?" The question made him stop in his tracks and glare at you. 

"Jealous? I am purely concerned for you - for your safety. Is this not what friends do? Are they not meant to express their concerns?" For a moment you just stared at him, almost shocked by the bitterness in his words, and the sincerity that resonated in them at the same time. When you reached him, you grabbed his arm and took a deep breath. Then you prayed you wouldn't mess this up and find the right words.

“I never told you this, Loki, but I'm - I'm really grateful that you came over that day. I loved the flowers you brought me, and I still haven't figured out how you knew they were my favourite. And I like that we are friends now. I value the time we spend together, maybe more than you can understand. Definitely more than you think. I really do."

The two glacial pools that stared down at you melted into a soft ocean-green when you squeezed his arm gently. Loki closed his eyes and took a breath, then he leaned forward and whispered,

"Apology accepted."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

Tony's New Year's party was in full swing when you arrived. You spotted him and Pepper in the crowd and waved at them, before a bout of raucous laughter diverted your attention. The God of Thunder was currently entertaining a handful of women at the bar, while his younger brother sat a few feet away in animated conversation with Bruce, who was busy pouring drinks. It was astounding that Loki and Bruce had actually become friends after what you'd heard about “the puny god” incident.

As if he could sense your presence, Loki's emerald eyes flicked in your direction and when his gaze found you, a small smile appeared around the corners of his mouth.

You greeted the dark god with a cheerful “Hey, snowflake” and earned yourself a scowl. “That was a compliment", you added quickly, "Snowflakes are beautiful and each one is entirely unique.”

“You spend too much time with Stark”, Loki scoffed.

“Hi Bruce!” You leaned on the bar and Bruce pushed one of the drinks that he had made towards you.

"Hi. Wanna try?"

“What is it?”

“A 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' ”, Bruce grinned and adjusted his glasses.

You side-eyed Loki, who shrugged innocently. 

"Is it safe to drink this? I mean ... which sorcerer are we talking about?" You said and watched Loki roll his eyes, while you carefully nipped on the drink. “Ooh. This is delicious. But - oh my god, it's strooong!!”

"She likes it", Loki grinned. 

"She looks like her eyes are glazing over." Bruce frowned.

"It's the excitement." Loki declared.

"Or the alcohol." Bruce contested.

You couldn't help but chuckle at their conversation. Well, it was actually more of a giggle - maybe you were a tad tipsy after all.

“So, that's what the two of you have been up to? Mixing drinks?”

“It's a science project”, Bruce deadpanned.

“A science project", your gaze wandered from him to Loki. " ... will I turn into a Gremlin or something?”

“Nasty little green guys with lots of sharp, long teeth.” Bruce explained to Loki.

"I have never encountered such a creature on Midgard." The god mused.

“Gremlins! It's one of those super old movies”, Peter suddenly popped up behind the bar next to Bruce. “Cute, cuddly furball-thingies that turn into little monsters when you feed them after midnight or pour water on them - it's a classic.”

“Are you sure, you're old enough to drink this?” Bruce asked when Peter pulled a bottle and a glass off a shelf. 

“Not for me", he grinned and quickly ducked away. 

"Right", you muttered and where about to sit down next to Loki, when Pepper came over and led you away to meet some of her family. The next hours were spent chatting, dancing and nibbling on the delicious finger food Pepper had organised from some undoubtedly expensive catering company. From time to time you looked around for Loki, but much to your disappointment, he had left his place on the bar and disappeared in the crowd. 

It was just before midnight, when you spotted him again, leaning against one of the floor to ceiling windows. So you made your way through the people towards him through the dancing crowd, but before you could reach him, the countdown started and a moment later people started cheering and fell around each other's neck, hugging, kissing and wishing each other a happy new year.

Trying to escape the jostling crowd you pushed forward and finally reached the panels of glass that offered a magnificent view of the city and your eyes widened when the first fireworks appeared over Central Park. Someone came up behind you and you didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Instinctively, you leaned back against Loki's chest while both of you watched in silence. And you wondered, if the god was as enthralled by the glittering lights that exploded in the sky all over the city as you were.

After the fireworks and the main excitement, the atmosphere grew mellow and the music toned down to slow and romantic. You turned around and Loki held out his hand.

“Would you offer me this dance?”

There were a few butterflies in your stomach as he led you onto the dance floor and pulled you close, gently placing both hands on your hips. You rested yours on his shoulders, noticing for the first time how tall he was.

“Happy new year, little mortal”, Loki cooed softly.

“Happy new year”, you whispered and smiled up at him.

There was a moment of hesitation before you rose up on your tip toes to brush a kiss on his cheek. Loki seemed to have the same thing in mind because he lowered his head that very moment so that your lips brushed against each other.

For a millisecond, both of you froze. Then your mind shut down and Loki's mouth nudged your lips. The world around you disappeared when his warm breath fanned your skin and the scent of fresh snow filled your nose. When the god's cool tongue sought entrance into your mouth, you buried your fingers in his soft hair.

For a while, that was all you were aware of. His taste. His scent. His breath. His hair.

The spell was rudely broken, when people started cheering and clapping, bringing you back to the reality that you were standing in the middle of the dance floor in a room full of people. You pulled away from Loki's lips and hid your face against his shoulder.

_Crikey. What just happened?_

Since you didn't want to cause a scene, you waited until the attention had diverted, before you pushed away from Loki, but the dark god was reluctant to let you go.

“I can't”, you whispered.

“Why not?” Loki asked softly.

_Why not?_

“I'm meeting AD. Tomorrow.” You could feel Loki's hold on you loosen.

“Artful deception", Loki muttered. "He has immaculate timing, hasn't he?”

You bit your lip “I – I shouldn't have kissed you.” 

“I do not regret it. On the contrary, I found it quite pleasurable”, the dark god replied cheekily, offering you one of those smiles that made dimples appear in his cheeks, which set another bout of butterflies loose in your stomach. You quickly turned and fled through the crowd towards the hallway.

Loki called out your name, but you didn't stop. He caught up with you when you reached the elevator and gently grabbed your shoulders before you could press the call button. 

“It was not my intention to kiss you. I did not plan it, I swear.” Loki gently cupped your cheek with one hand, guiding your gaze up to his eyes. 

You searched his eyes. They were open and clear.

“I don't know – I ...”

“Shh. It is quite alright.” He gingerly stroked your cheek with his thumb. “If it is any solace to you, this - is as confusing to me as it is to you.”

You bit your lip.

“Sometimes I wonder." Loki's voice was soft and deep. 

“You wonder what?”

“If we had met in the cafe around the corner instead of ...”

“Loki, don't ...”

“I may have bought you a cup of tea and a piece of chocolate cake and would have invited you out for dinner the same evening.”

“Loki ...”

“You may have never hated me.”

“Maybe not.”

“If only ...”

“Loki. Don't even go there." You stopped him, placing your hand on his and gently pulling it away from your face. "The past weeks have been deceivingly peaceful, but we - we don't - I mean, you've said it to me so many times - you're a god - I'm a mortal. This – _us_ \- would never work. You want to have fun, and I - I want to have something that lasts. We get along as friends, but we still fight at every opportunity. And we have misunderstandings and I – I better go now.”

The elevator opened that moment and you quickly stepped inside, but Loki held the door open.

“May I ask you something?"

"What?" You wished he would let you go.

"How come you forgave him so easily for failing to turn up to your romantic tryst, while you won't forgive me? He caused you agony. You suffered for weeks not knowing what had happened and why he had not come. I might have tricked you into my bed, but I offered you hours filled with nothing but pleasure.”

You couldn't look at him, because suddenly tears were welling up in your eyes. 

_Don't, Loki._

Your chest contracted painfully. Something inside you wanted to grab him and kiss him again. Wrap your arms around his neck and ... 

“I have to go, Loki.” Your voice was shaky. 

The God of Mischief retracted his hand and allowed the doors of the elevator to close. 

“I merely hope you will not be disappointed when you finally meet him.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of all - I'm sorry for not having answered all comments lately, I'll do my best to get back to that, because I love love love your comments and really value them. It means a lot to me that you take the time to write and I hope that all of you are well!!  
> So - thank you for all your kind comments and kudos!!!! 
> 
> This is the last chapter! I extended the original concept (from the movie) a little - enjoy!
> 
> Stay safe and healthy and look after yourself! 
> 
> much 💕 to you all!!

It was 5:13 when you walked through the door at Majorelle's.

In his last email AD had said that he would be there at five, the perfect time for afternoon tea, so you thought it safe to be a little late. Not too late, though - and thirteen was your lucky number.

A waiter greeted you with a pleasant smile.

“The gentleman you are waiting for asked me to show you to your table, miss." He gestured to follow him and you were too dumbfounded to ask how he knew you were the right person. 

You followed him to a table for two, which was set with fine bone china tableware and in the middle of the table lay a white rose and a book. AD wasn't there. The waiter pulled out one of the chairs and you sat down, taking a quick look around before you tentatively touched the rose and ran your fingers over the cover of the book. It was a beautiful hardcover copy of "The Prophet". 

You'd never told AD that you had also chosen a white rose for your date months ago. Was it coincidence? Or could it be that -- a tiny spark of hope lit up inside your heart. With a deep breath you tried to extinguish it, together with the feelings that inevitably rose whenever you thought of Loki. Of course, you never admitted it to yourself, that you secretly hoped Loki was your romantic pen pal. But, truly, what were the chances?

You didn't want to get your hopes up, because this hope was absurd. Entirely unrealistic.

“Your tea, miss.” A neatly dressed server stepped up to you and filled your cup with a fragrant Assam blend that smelled absolutely divine. She left the teapot on the table and returned a minute later with a three tiered cake stand filled with all sorts of sweet treats and sandwiches. 

“Thank you”, you said shyly, taken aback by the attention you were receiving. When you reached for your tea, your gaze fell on a cream coloured envelope that you hadn't noticed.Carefully you opened it and pulled out a letter.

The handwriting was elegant.

_My friend,_

“ _When love beckons to you, follow him, though his ways are hard and steep._

_And when he speaks to you, believe him, though his voice may shatter your dreams_

_as the north wind lays waste to the garden._

_For even as love crowns you, so shall he crucify you._

_Acknowledging this, I have left but these desires:_

_To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night._

_To know the pain of too much tenderness._

_To be wounded by my own understanding of love_

_– and to bleed –_

_willingly a_ _nd joyfully."_

_AD_

A lump formed in your throat and your eyes stung as you stared at the piece of paper.

 _Loki_.

It had to be him. You took a deep breath and glanced around. From where you were sitting, you could see the the front door which opened that very moment and a man in a black coat entered. You immediately recognised his midnight black hair that curled lightly at the ends, and when his green eyes met yours, a tear slipped from your eye. Loki shrugged apologetically as he approached your table.

“Hello, little bookworm”, Loki's dark voice was purred softly, although a little quieter than usual. You averted your eyes and quickly wiped away another tear.

“May I sit?”

You offered him a silent nod.

The god regarded you with a mixture of curiosity and caution, then he cleared his throat.

"I apologise if I am not the person you hoped to meet." 

Your eyes searched his green ones.

“I - I hoped it was you", you whispered. "But right now, I'm undecided about whether I should slap you - or kiss you.”

The hint of a smile flitted across the god's features.

“Both are acceptable options", he offered you a sly smile. 

“Artful deception, indeed”, you muttered and leaned back in your chair. "You've known this entire time?"

“I can explain.” He started, but you cut him off by shaking your head. As much as you had hoped that AD would turn out to be Loki, it made this situation even more confusing. Why had he not just told you? Why had he kept up the illusion of AD?

“I'm sure you have some kind of explanation for why you've duped me. In more than one way. The question is, is it worthwhile listening to what you have to say? Or will it just be another excuse? Another trick?"

The God of Mischief's smile fell and you were surprised that he stayed silent instead of trying to defend himself. 

“I'm - I'm just not sure what to believe anymore", you finally said.

He averted his gaze and ran a hand through his hair. 

"I did not deceive you. Or trick you."

"You didn't tell me the truth either." 

“Are you disappointed that your mysterious friend turned out to be me?”

You bit your lip. 

“Am I disappointed that of all male specimen on this planet the God of Mischief, who happens to be incredibly smart and is also extremely good-looking, tries to win me over by writing beautiful love letters?" You held up the letter and Loki stared at you. "No. Not really."

He visibly relaxed.

"Am I angry that he _pretended_ to be my friend and tried to make me fall in love with him so that he did not have to reveal to me that he was my virtual pen pal?" You had to bite back a grin at seeing Loki's face drop. "Oh yes. I _am_ , my _friend_."

"I can explain", he started but you raised your hand. 

"Am I disappointed, because I do not know if I can believe whatever he tells me? Am I hurt that he kept the truth from me? Am I in love with him and feel like an idiot because of the above reasons? - Yes. Yes. Yes."

"I did not _pretend_ to be your friend and I am telling you the truth now."

"But why? Why didn't you just be honest with me? Why kiss me and try to persuade me to stay over last night when you knew you were going to meet me anyway?"

He rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Because - you hated me. Hated _Loki_." He didn't look at you and his voice was strained. "But you love _him_. I believed that you would hate me even more, once you found out."

"Then why didn't you just quit? You could have quit being AD. You could have stopped writing to me."

Loki let out a breath and cradled his head in his hands.

"I could not", he whispered. 

All those emotions bubbled up inside you and it was hard not to get mad at him. 

"Yeah, right." You scoffed.

His head snapped up. 

"You do not believe me?"

"I don't understand why?"

"Is it not obvious? I could not stop, because I needed it. I needed you. Never before have I been able to speak so openly to anyone. Not many are interested in what I have to say about myself and even fewer listen to my advice."

You felt your heart contract. 

"I'm sorry, Loki" You muttered. "I'm - I mean, everything you said as AD, was it - was that - the truth?"

The look he gave you made you cringe. He looked like you'd just slapped him in the face, because you doubted him. But you couldn't quite believe that this haughty, beautiful god would really fall for you.

“You scare me, Loki", you breathed. "I really don't know what to make of you. But - I mean, you're a god. What are the chances you really fall in love with me? I'm just not sure - I'm not sure how real this is."

"As real as you allow it to be."

"Yeah, sure. I tell you I love you too and you'll swear everlasting fidelity to me and we live happily ever after. Like that?" 

"Your sarcasm truly rivals mine." He leaned back with a sour expression on his face and crossed his arms over his chest.

Great, now you were both annoyed.

"The truth is, Loki, that, after a day, or a week, or a month you will realise that you've made a mistake. You will wake up one morning and realise that I'm mortal. That I grow old and you don't. At least, not quite as fast as I do. I was hoping that AD would be you, but maybe I was just building castles in the air. I mean, aren't we just fooling ourselves? That kind of fairly-tale-thing doesn't happen in real life. It just doesn't.”

 _Damn it._ You hadn't wanted to say this, but you were too afraid of getting hurt again. And that no matter how much "in love" he was with you, it was unlikely that this relationship was going to go well.

“Maybe you are right.” Loki sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Maybe it would be better for us to go separate ways, if that is what you are suggesting. Or we could merely stay friends?"

You knew it. He wasn't serious about this, otherwise he would have put up a fight to convince you that you were utterly stupid to think he would let you go this easily. So, finally he came to his senses. Of course, you should have known.

"Wouldn't that be safer? For both of us?" You suggested. 

Loki leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table and fixing his green eyes on you. 

"There is something you should understand. I am a God of Chaos. A God of Chance. There _is_ no _safe_ road for me. There is no security in anything. I take chances. I make mistakes. I break things and I hurt others. I try to turn whatever fate thrusts upon me into an opportunity rather than be a victim of circumstances. Shoot me for using this to my advantage, but it does not mean that everything I do is selfish. It does not mean that I enjoy the suffering I cause or that I do not feel regret, or guilt, or - love. It does not mean that I am unable to care for others."

Loki took a deep breath before he continued.

"It certainly does not mean that I am not afraid. Because, I _am_ afraid of your rejection. I am afraid of your mortality. I am afraid of losing you. I am afraid of my love for you. And, I am afraid of the fact that I have allowed you to ruin me. And yet, I wish for nothing more than for you to trust me. I want you to know that my heart is not as volatile as you believe it to be and that rejecting what we have without giving it a try is an act of cowardice rather than one of safety. I understand that you are attempting to spare yourself another possibility of being hurt, but for my part, I cannot ignore my feelings any longer."

His confession left you speechless. You merely stared at him, unable how to respond. 

The sincerity and the vulnerability that resonated in his words was so tangible, that you finally reached out to place your hand on his arm. You remembered what you had shared with AD. You fell in love with the man who had the heart of a poet, and you understood now more than ever, that Loki had taken a risk by opening up to you. Why couldn't you take a risk for him as well?

“Loki, can I ask you something?"

"Please, do."

"When you came to meet me that night. At the pizza place. Did you know who I was?"

"I did not. I came because I was curious to see who the little bookworm was. And I was rather surprised when I found out it was you."

You groaned and palmed your forehead.

"God, I'm an idiot. I honestly thought it was a really weird incident that you happened to walk in. I could have put one and one together."

“Well, we were both deluded, because I thought that you had thoroughly deceived me.”

“Deceived you?"

"My little bookworm was a woman with a tender-hearted and kind personality, you, on the other hand, were a dragon with a poisonous tongue."

"Oh. Was I now?" You narrowed your eyes at him, the anger rising up again. "A dragon, huh? And what about you? You slept with me to make me 'admit defeat'! You never cared about my feelings. You never cared about me. It was all about _you._ It was about - about making me feel inferior and you coming out on top. You think I'm a _dragon_? Well, if I'm a dragon, you're a snake. A poisonous one with a split tongue." You hissed and drew back your hand. 

Loki looked taken aback then his eyes narrowed dangerously and his face settled into an expressionless mask.

Damn it. He really pushed your buttons and somehow you seemed to be able to push his, too. Why did the two of you have such terrible dynamics? You prepared for an outburst of anger or that he would get up and leave, but then his mouth twitched slightly. 

"A dragon and a snake are a fair match, I believe." His face softened. "One thing is certain - we are excellent at reviling each other", he added with a burst of gentle laughter, and you couldn't help but chuckle and join in. 

"You're a drama queen. And a diva." You sniggered.

"And you - you are an irreverent mortal who should be thankful that a god demeans himself to seek your company." 

"And you're an arrogant god who should be thankful that mortals are so forgiving." You retorted. 

The dark god's eyes suddenly lost there glow and his smile faded. 

"I did not bed you because I felt you were beneath me", he said softly, regret lacing the usually velvet smoothness of his voice. "I may have played with you, but I honoured the time we spent with each other."

You took a deep breath. 

"Then, why didn't you call me?"

"When I woke up the sheets were cold. You left my bed without saying farewell. I thought you were not interested."

"Not interested? Good god." You sighed and put your forehead into your hands. 

"I am thankful you accepted me as my friend." Loki cautiously reached out to wrap his cool, slender fingers around your hand. "I may have tricked you into my bed. I may have been short-sighted, but I never intended to hurt your feelings as I did. Just as I never intended to lose my heart to you."

"Fidelity. Did you sleep with her?" The question popped out of your mouth without thinking.

"Is that truly of importance?" 

Right. Of course, he wouldn't miss a chance. 

When you bit your lip, Loki's fingers tightened their hold of your hand slightly. With his other hand, he tipped your chin up so you would look at him.

"I did not bed the girl. Under different circumstances, I would not have declined her offer, but I merely courted her to protect you. You had already invaded my mind and I could not rid myself of you. My thoughts would wander to you in the most inopportune moments of the day, it was rather distracting."

You nodded and his gaze lowered to your hands, as he rubbed the soft pad of his thumb over your skin, seemingly lost in thought. One dark eyebrow rose when you stood, holding his gaze, but retreating your hands.

"I think, I made up my mind", you said.

He didn't move. And he didn't say anything. Merely looked at you, with unhidden vulnerability in his green eyes.

"I'll skip the slapping part and am just going to kiss you. If that's ok with you?"

When a small smile, you leaned forward and cupped his face with both hands. when you pressed a chaste kiss on his lips, Loki's eyes fluttered shut. It was an innocent, gentle kiss, and when you pulled away he kept his eyes closed, an expression lingering on his face that reminded you of someone savouring the flavour of a delicious treat. His tongue darted out to lick his lips, then, very slowly his eyes cracked open.

"I most certainly prefer the kiss to being slapped."

You grinned. 

"That's what I thought."

Sitting back down you lifted the cup of tea to your lips. It was Luke warm by now, but the flavour was still delectable.

"Shall we have our afternoon tea then, my Lord Loki?" The expression on his face was priceless. There was no doubt he adored the new endearment. 

"It would be my pleasure, my lady." You poured him some tea and he picked a small cake from the cake stand and held it out to you. "This is one of my favourites."

His green eyes watched intently as you picked it off his fingers with your mouth. It was delicious. Loki smiled and briefly touched your lips before he cleared his throat and leaned back. 

"Just for the record. It wasn't easy to turn you down last night, Loki - and should you try it again I won't be able to decline the offer." You smirked. 

***

"Say it." Loki was hovering over you, his muscular body gleaming in the soft light of the bedside lamp. Those green eyes were alight with mischief and he gathered your wrists in his hands and pinned them down above your head.

"Say what?" You asked innocently. 

"Say that you love me", the god purred, showing a row of perfect pearl teeth as he grinned down at you. 

"Just to please your vanity? I don't think so." You rolled your eyes. He answered with a low growl. 

"Say it", he demanded huskily, voice dropping to a seductive purr while his lips brushed along your jawline and he rubbed his naked body against yours, his very firm length pressing against your soft parts.

Damn him. He was using his most effective weapons against you, but you were determined not to succumb to his charms so easily.

"Give me one good reason, why I would say that - - " A shriek ripped from your throat as Loki sank his teeth into your neck, only to soothe the bite with gentle nibbles and kisses an instant later. 

"Because you're mine", he whispered against your skin, licking it tenderly. 

_Oh for god's sake. Why did he have to be so damn sexy?_

Your legs wrapped around his hips on their own accord, inviting him to sink into you, which he did in slow moves, claiming you inch by inch. Every time he claimed you, you felt like falling apart. It bordered on embarrassing how infuriatingly needy you were. Fortunately Loki found it rather _endearing_. 

A week had passed since Loki's revelation at Majorelle's and he had pretty much locked you up in his apartment in the tower after that. Even though you made several professional attempts to explain to him that his obsessive behaviour wasn't healthy for either of you - you were the just as reluctant as he was to leave the apartment. Or the bed. 

"You're so - uh ..." You mewled softly, as his hard body moulded against yours and he buried himself inside you to the hilt with a deep, throaty groan. 

"You are so soft. And kind. And beautiful. And I am already dreading the day I have to let you leave my chambers", he buried his face against your neck.

"You are beautiful, too, my Mischief." 

He chuckled softly and planted a kiss on your neck. 

"I love you", he purred. His hand let go of your wrists and you combed your fingers through his soft hair, pushing it out of his face.

"I love you, Loki." His lips widened in a gentle smile, before he lowered his head to meet your lips. 

"I love you more", he chuckled softly. 

I couldn't resist adding this sweet picture - because it lifted my spirits the moment I saw it and I believe we can all do with high spirits and a bit of sweet Loki right now!

not sure who owns the copyright to this ☺️ quite likely Mischief himself 😏

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and enjoying!!! :)
> 
> This has been fun and I'm thrilled that it was so well received. <3


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